Growing On Me
by Rincewind2.0
Summary: AU. Shuuhei is a journalist in an undercover mission to expose the corruption of his city. Kensei is the police officer who is supposed to watch over him. Midst the danger and insecurity, they have no one else but each other to turn to.
1. Chapter 1

_**If you've read my other stories on this AU ('I'm Not In Love, But' or 'Nonsense') you will already know how this story ends. There isn't that much details on them though but this fic is situated time before those stories happen so if you don't want any spoilers don't read them before this one is finished…Which can be quite the long wait. Anyway, read&review people! I had to come back to this pairing, it's just so good.**_

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><p><strong>Chapter 1. <strong>

Shuuhei was rushing back and forth in the front room of his apartment. The stack of papers on his arm kept falling on the floor as he tried to put on his shoes, hopping on one leg trying to tie the laces of his shoe. His roommate watched his struggles from the living room couch as the young man tried to leave the house.

"You're already late, what's the point anymore" Ulquiorra noted, looking down at his biology notes. Shuuhei tried to say something but as he had decided to put his papers between his teeth while he tied his shoelaces it came out as an incoherent mumble.

"That's not the point" he finally managed to retort as he took the papers out of his mouth, having finally succeeded in putting his shoes on.

"Then what is?" Ulquiorra asked, turning a page on his notes.

"If I saunter in late I look like a douche, if I even look like I tried to be on time maybe they'll go easy on me" Shuuhei reasoned, realizing his jacket wasn't on the coat hanger and ran to his own room.

"They probably don't even remember when you're supposed to start, go in looking like you were supposed to be there just now and if someone argues, look confident." Shuuhei's head poked out from the door of his room, a deep frown on his face.

"You sound like you know what you're talking about."

"I always do." Shuuhei scoffed and disappeared into his room again.

"Gaah, where is it?" Ulquiorra heard him shout and noticed the said jacket lying on the couch right next to him. Shuuhei rushed out of his room, noticed the jacket and grabbed it, cursing under his breath.

"I'm so fucking late" he sighed as he battled himself into the piece of clothing.

"Obviously."

"You're really not helping here."

"I wouldn't even if I could."

"Well shut up then." Shuuhei checked if he had all he needed with him and then ran for the door again. Ulquiorra calmly leaned forward to pick up the keys that were lying on the coffee table.

"You might need these." Shuuhei spun around and dashed back, grabbing the keys from Ulquiorra's hand.

"Thanks" he wheezed and then ran out again, slamming the door behind him. Ulquiorra relaxed back on the couch, settling back into his studying. He counted the minutes in his head and got to three when the door burst open again and Shuuhei bolted across the small apartment and then out again.

"Forgot my ID!" he shouted just before he shut the door after himself again.

"Figures."

"Not helping!"

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><p>Half an hour later Shuuhei was running up the stairs of the huge office building where his workplace was.<p>

"Fucking seventh floor" he wheezed out as he tottered up the last few steps and lowered his hand on the door handle. Then he remembered Ulquiorra's advice and inhaled slowly, trying to look like he hadn't been running for the past six blocks like a maniac. He squinted at his blurry reflection from the shiny metal door and then just gave up, opening the door with a resigned sigh. The first thing that he always noticed in the office was the noise; people running around, shouting to each other from the other sides of the large room that held ten small cubicles, all occupied by stressed-out looking journalists, photographers and editors. Shuuhei figured he could use the ruckus as a distraction and tried to sneak into his own cubicle, only to be stopped by a tight grip that grabbed his shoulder.

"Hisagi" a low voice, almost a growl called his name, "where the hell have you been?" Shuuhei turned around slowly, as if waiting to be hit in the face. He saw a tall black man with a huge afro standing behind him, glaring at him over the rim of his sunglasses he wore all the time, even while indoors. Some said his eyes had become sensitive to light from all the years spent darkroom developing sensational photographs.

"Sorry boss, I…I…Errr…" Shuuhei stuttered, trying to think of a decent excuse.

"You're almost an hour late, you had plenty of time to conjure up a good excuse" his boss spat out.

"I'm sorry sir, I just…" Shuuhei shrugged his shoulders, he really didn't have anything to say that could save his hide now. To his surprise his boss just sighed, squeezing the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger.

"This is the third time this month Hisagi. I can't let you off easy anymore." Shuuhei's eyes widened and he could feel the blood rushing away from his face.

"Aikawa, you can't mean…"

"Sorry Hisagi, it's my ass on the line too."

"Bu-but, you can't fire me now!" Shuuhei's voice almost cracked as he pleaded, "I'm this close to blowing the whole thing wide open, just few weeks more, please…"

"I'm really sorry Hisagi but you have to find someone else who wants to hire you, we can't afford it. We need writers who actually produce something we can publish" the boss said, actually looking little sorry about the situation.

"You'd be a good journalist if you just wrote something for once." Shuuhei's posture slouched as he realized he was actually losing his job.

"I'm so close" he whispered quietly. His now former boss patted him on the shoulder as he walked to his own office.

"When you've sorted yourself out, come and talk to me again. Maybe we can figure something out."

"Right" Shuuhei replied, still in the state of shock. Slowly he gathered himself up and tried to sneak out, avoiding the looks his former co-workers threw at his direction, ranging from pity to disinterest. Once outside the office, Shuuhei staggered few steps down the stairs before he slowly just drooped down, sitting on a cold steel step. He was still squeezing his papers in his hands, almost tearing the pages. He looked at his nearly white knuckles and slowly eased his grip, staring at the words on the paper. He had been working on this case for months now and had finally found a paper that had been ready to publish it and then this happened.

It wasn't because he was lazy, on the contrary. He had been spending almost his every waking hour gathering information, interviewing people and looking for clues. It had been more of a private detective business than normal journalism. But if he ever wanted to expose the corruption that riddled his city and right the wrongs it had to be done. If he didn't do it, no one else would. Shuuhei sighed and let the papers drop from his hands, scattering along the steps. He pressed his face into his hands, they felt cool against his flushed skin. His mind was completely blank for few minutes as his brain slowly processed the situation. Finally he looked up, staring at the opposite wall.

"So" he asked the hallway, "what now?"

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><p>When Shuuhei finally got home, it was dark. He had decided to do the only sensible thing people do when they lost they job and gotten drunk with his friends. And when those friends were Grimmjow, Renji, Kaien and Ikkaku, trying to take it easy was not an option. Shuuhei was mildly surprised finding himself standing in front of his own apartment door and even more surprised when he could still find his keys. With some difficulty he managed to unlock the door and almost fell right on his face as he swung it open, stumbling inside. It was dark inside and he tried to be quiet while taking off his coat and untying his shoes, a feat that proved way too difficult for him in his current state. After trying to kick off his shoes Shuuhei finally gave up and decided he could easily sleep with his shoes on for one night, he was so drunk he wouldn't know if he was sleeping naked or wearing a mankini. Feeling his way inside he tried to sneak into his own room past the darkened living room and kitchen but then suddenly someone turned on all the lights, making Shuuhei quickly cover his eyes and wail out as if the light had actually started to melt his skin. He could hear Ulquiorra sigh and could imagine how the young man rolled his eyes at him.<p>

"I told you he'd be no use to you tonight" his roommate said. Then Shuuhei heard another voice, a deeper and hoarser one, grumble something and the sound of someone walking towards him followed.

"I thought I was dealing with a professional here" the other voice said and even Shuuhei in his very much drunken state could tell this person was royally pissed off.

"He is. Ever heard of gonzo- journalism? Basically it means that he lives the life of those he reports on, and apparently today he's doing a piece of the local drunks." Shuuhei would've usually thrown a sharp remark at Ulquiorra's snide comments but now all his brain was capable was trying to not to shut down or throw up. He felt his arm being grabbed tightly and his hands were violently wrenched down so his face was exposed to the sharp light.

"Owww" he moaned as he screwed his eyes shut, the light still stinging through his eyelids, "Ulqui, get your gorilla off of me."

"He's not my problem. At least anymore." The young man got up from the couch and walked to his own room.

"Try to keep it down, I have an exam tomorrow and you have wasted enough of my time already." The man still holding on Shuuhei's arm merely grunted and waited until the young man closed the door of his room behind him before letting the journalist go, almost making him topple over on the floor again.

"Eyes up here, kid." Even in his current state Shuuhei could recognize a threat when he heard one, even if it was just subtext. Slowly he forced his eyes open and tried to pull himself together, which was quite difficult when you're feet already thought you'd gone to sleep. As his vision slowly adjusted to the brightness of the room, he could make out a dark blue blob standing in front of him. Gradually he could also start seeing the details and realized it was a man in his thirties, wearing a police uniform. _Oh shitbags._

"Good evening officer" Shuuhei slurred, wanting to bite his own tongue when he heard how drunk he sounded. The police officer frowned at him, the man had a slightly angular face and sharp gaze that seemed to pierce right through Shuuhei's forehead. The young man's eyes splayed as he tried to focus his gaze on the man, failing miserably. The man sighed and folded his arms across his chest, his biceps flexing under the fabric of his uniform. To his horror Shuuhei realized that his inebriated brain was suddenly getting extremely turned on by the fact that a handsome police officer was almost manhandling him in his own living room, which was very close to his bedroom. The thought of how this all would go in a tacky porn film filled Shuuhei's mind and he desperately tried to think of something extremely unsexy to control his stirring erection. _Fuck you brain, fuck you!_

"Do you have any idea why I'm here?" the police asked him. Shuuhei couldn't stop himself as he started to chuckle drunkenly and almost blurted out what he had just been thinking but managed to control himself enough to stand up straight and shake his head.

"Sorry man, I have no clue."

"Figures" the man scoffed and grabbed his hat off his head, running his hand through his short silvery hair. Shuuhei swayed slowly from side to side as he tried to maintain his balance without the man's strong grasp on his arm. The police glared at him, his eyes scanning Shuuhei from head to toe. He started to look incredulous and Shuuhei couldn't really blame him. He wasn't at his best right now.

"You are Shuuhei Hisagi, the reporter who's been investigating the mobs in this city?" the man asked him dubiously.

"The one and only" Shuuhei grinned, instantly regretting it seeing the man's glare getting even colder.

"Did you know that the police force has been following your progress for the last three months?" That information almost made Shuuhei sober up, if only for a few seconds.

"They've what?" he mumbled, pressing his hand on his forehead. He could already feel the hangover of the century coming on.

"The chief inspector thinks your work could be the downfall of the mobster and we've been following your progress. We know that you were fired from your work today and that's why the chief inspector sent me here to make sure you weren't going to stop your research." The man paused and eyed Shuuhei critically again. The young man started to feel like he wasn't being appreciated here.

"But I see that's bit too late now."

"Gimme a break man, I was fired today, how am I gonna pay my rent now?" Shuuhei moaned, trying to suppress the thumping of his brain, "Besides, why don't you cops just pick up from where I left off, you got the man power and expertise."

"We've tried to use undercover agents before who've tried to infiltrate the ranks of the mobs" the police officer said, then his expression darkened, "but with no success." Shuuhei frowned as he remembered reading something about dead cops in the papers. Then he remembered the slightly gut-wrenching conversation he had overheard in one of the pubs the mobster frequented. They had been talking about some guy trying to trick them and who had been revealed to be a police officer. Their boss had not been happy about it. Shuuhei shivered as he remembered how the men had laughed while one of them had described how they had gutted the poor man in some back alley and left him there to die.

"Okay, okay" he muttered, "so you're here to make sure I'm gonna keep risking my own life for nothing now? At least my last job paid me for it."

"The city is prepared to cover all your expenses if you manage to publish your story." Shuuhei let out a bitter laugh.

"The city, seriously? Do you have any idea who runs this city?" the young man jeered, "I'm actually surprised you haven't already shot me or thrown me to jail, as far as I know least half of the police force are straight as a roundabout. So sorry if I'm not convinced." First Shuuhei was sue the man would hit him or worse, arrest him for contempt. But then the police officer just sighed, his rigid posture slouched a bit. Shuuhei noticed that suddenly the man looked tired, tired and fed up.

"You're right" the man admitted grudgingly, "the force is filled with snitches and backstabbers who play straight into the mobsters' hands. We've had witnesses being paid silent, evidence disappearing, the district attorneys are no good, the judges let everyone go with the shortest possible sentences. I'm starting to lose faith here, the chief inspector has tried to oppose them but his hands are tied."

"They have his family, I know" Shuuhei put in, "but how are you then here, I've kept this well under wraps, it's the only reason I'm still alive." Shuuhei suddenly realized that this man might've blown his whole cover by coming here.

"Don't worry, no one else knows about you and this except me and the chief inspector. To the others, you're just one of the crooks."

"Gee, that's good to hear."

"It is, it means your cover has been fooling even the detectives. You've done better than our own undercover cops."

"Well I'm flattered" Shuuhei muttered, still feeling bit woozy, "but so let me recap all this, you're here to keep me working because it's the only way to stop the bad guys?"

"That's right."

"How're you gonna do that?"

"I was advised to keep a look out for you and make sure you're safe. I will also work in the force and keep an eye out for any possible suspicions about you so we know if something is threatening you."

"Sounds all well and good but how am I supposed to trust you" Shuuhei said, "I don't even know your name and you seems to know lot more about me than I'm comfortable with." The police officer seemingly considered whether or not to expose his identity to Shuuhei. Finally he stepped closer to the young man and stretched his hand out to him. Shuuhei grabbed it, the man's grip was strong and warm.

"The name's Kensei Muguruma" the man said, looking Shuuhei straight to his eyes, "at your service."

"Pleased to meet you" Shuuhei mumbled before he realized how idiotic that sounded.

"So when will we start?" Kensei frowned at him, still holding onto his hand.

"So you'll agree to this? You do know you're risking your own life?"

"I've known it since the day I started and it's been good so far" Shuuhei replied, then smirked drunkenly. The man's hand felt very nice.

"And now that I have you to keep me safe, what could go wrong?" For the first time Shuuhei noticed a small smile tugging the man's lips.

"Hope we don't have to find out."


	2. Chapter 2

_**Just realized that this is all very Reservoir Dogs- esque, if you squint hard enough.**_

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><p><strong>Chapter 2. <strong>

Kensei was sitting behind his desk at the police station, browsing through the latest reports. Armed robberies, car-jacks, drug deals, assaults, even one homicide. It wasn't the friendliest city of them all but it could've been better, if only they ever arrested someone. Just this morning Kensei had seen two men walk out from the station after the witness who was supposed to testify against them had mysteriously disappeared. Kensei was almost ready to put his money on the fact that the man would be found dead in a gutter somewhere next week. He perked up when he noticed someone leaning on the wall separating his cubicle from the others. His eyes narrowed as he recognized the man and instinctively drew back on his chair.

"What is it Szayel" he grunted, the legs of his chair scraping against the floor. The tall man with strange pink hair merely giggled at him, flicking back a strand of hair.

"That's no way to greet an old friend, now is it Kensei" Szayel tut-tutted at him. Despite his weird smile his eyes glinted in a way that made Kensei's skin crawl. He stood up, not wanting the man to look down on him. He glared at Szayel, almost as if trying to stare him down.

"I heard you were selling drugs to kids nowadays" Kensei said, crossing his arms on his chest, "and here I thought you couldn't sink any lower." Szayel cackled again, that unnerving laughter that grated Kensei's nerves.

"So you say but do you have any proof?" the man said, tilting his head to one side, his grin widening as Kensei kept quiet, "thought so." Kensei made a sudden movement to grab the man but he moved quickly away, looking more amused than afraid.

"Now now Kensei, play nice" he scolded, "you don't want to cause a scene in front of your fellow officers." Kensei's eyes darted across the office space and he fought down a growl of frustration as he realized how many of the officers currently present were in fact bribed by the mobsters. Few of them would come to his aid but even more would gladly testify against him if he beat up Szayel. _Fucking ridiculous. _

Szayel giggled again, reaching his hand out to touch Kensei's brow that sported a small scar. Kensei was quick to slap the man's hand away but not before his slim fingers had brushed over the scar.

"It's a funny thing, I think you look better with the scar instead of that piercing" Szayel noted.

"Is that what you were thinking when you tore it out?" Kensei snapped, rubbing the scar with his thumb.

"Oh come now Kensei, you know I'm not that far-sighted" Szayel guffawed, "it was all just for fun."

"I know your brand of fun" Kensei grunted, his hands balling into fists as he tried to stop himself from assaulting the man, "it always ends up bad for someone else."

"Oh Kensei, you know me so well" Szayel smiled, taking a step closer to the man who in return backed off, "we could have so much fun together."

"I thought I was bit too old for you." The man's grin turned even creepier and his shoulders moved from silent laughter. Kensei felt disgusted, he was sure the man was thinking exactly the same thing as he was but Szayel's reaction was completely opposite his.

"What can I say, I'm a slave to my impulses" Szayel said casually, waving his hand in the air. Kensei clenched his jaw, trying to control his instinct that called him to knock the man out cold. Szayel looked Kensei in the eyes and his expression told him the man was clearly aware of Kensei's inner struggle.

"Well it has been fun Kensei, as always, but I must take my leave of you" Szayel said, reaching to pat Kensei's cheek. The man's whole posture was rigid and his eyebrows twitched as the long nails scratched his face.

"We must do this again sometime" the man bid him before waltzing out. Kensei waited until he heard the door shut before he slammed his fist on his desk, the wood made a very satisfying crunching sound as his hand went right through it.

"Geez Kensei, those desks don't come in cheap" one of his co-workers noted walking past him. Kensei withdrew his hand from the desk, splinters flying on the floor and some even sticking out of his hand. Blood ran down his arm as he picked out the biggest splinters and then walked to the men's bathroom to clean the wounds. The adrenaline was still running through his veins so he was only faintly aware of the thumping pain as he washed away the blood under the warm water. As he was trying to pick out the smallest remaining splinters, his phone started to ring in his breast pocket. Kensei frowned and tried to quickly dry his hands before answering it. The screen indicated it was an unknown number. _But this is a secret number, how… _After a second's hesitation Kensei answered the phone.

"Hello?"

"Kensei, is that you?" It took Kensei another few seconds to recognize the voice, after all this time it wasn't slurred and drunken like the last time he had heard it.

"Who else" he muttered, quickly looking around to see if anyone was listening, "how did you get this number?" Shuuhei's light laughter carried along the lines.

"I'm an investigative journalist remember? It wasn't that difficult." Kensei was mildly impressed but also little worried that anyone could find out his private number so easily.

"Why are you calling me anyway? I thought we were supposed to meet tomorrow."

"I know, but something came up. I think you might like to know about this before it's on the nine o'clock news." Kensei had already forgotten his damaged hand as he marched out of the men's room towards the front door.

"Just tell me where you are and I'm there in ten minutes" Kensei said as he walked to the locker room. Shuuhei hemmed incredulously.

"You have no idea where I am, how can you say you'll be here in that time?" Kensei smiled darkly as he grabbed the keys to his car.

"Tell me where you are and you'll see."

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><p>Less than ten minutes later Shuuhei heard a car swerve near the curb just outside the pub he was in. He raised his eyebrows approvingly as Kensei strutted in wearing his apparently casual clothes, jeans and black t-shirt that was bit too tight to stop Shuuhei from staring at the man's muscular chest.<p>

"Told you" the man said as he sat down on the table. Shuuhei tried to act professional and actually listen to what the man said, though he doubted that his credibility was already forever ruined in Kensei's eyes.

"Fine, granted" he admitted, trying to look the man in the eyes instead of ogling at his biceps.

"So, what it is?" Kensei asked, his fingers tapping against the wooden table. Now Shuuhei noticed the recent wounds on the man's hand.

"Have you been handing out some police brutality?" he asked, ignoring the man's question for the time being. Kensei seemed to notice the state of his hand only then and barely glanced at it, then just waved it in the air dismissively.

"Bent up aggressions, nothing more" he said, "but that's not what I'm here for."

"Right" Shuuhei perked up, leaning forward so he wouldn't have to speak loud for everyone to hear, "I think I've hit the jackpot." Kensei arched an eyebrow at him and Shuuhei was bit disappointed with his reaction, or more like the lack of it.

"Well do tell me" the police officer said when Shuuhei still waited for a more interested reaction. With an inward roll of his eyes Shuuhei tried to remember what he was supposed to say.

"Okay, so I suppose you know how deep the mobsters' power goes in this city" he started, pausing to see if the man did know what he was talking about, "but just to make sure, you are aware that the mayor and most of the older politicians are totally aware of the mobs' power but are bribed to keep quiet?" Kensei nodded slowly, encouraging Shuuhei to continue.

"Well, I've tried to find someone, anyone, who'd be willing to talk about it in more detail but it has seemed that even the younger people are knee-deep in the whole thing. But last night, I finally managed to find someone." The smile on Shuuhei's face bordered on maniacal and Kensei could see this young man hadn't really slept well for some time now.

"Last night? I thought you had been out drinking with your friends." Shuuhei swatted the air with his hand laughingly.

"In this job you're always working, especially when you're out drinking in the sleaziest bars in town" he chuckled, "that's where you meet the most interesting of people." Kensei didn't really comply with this statement but kept quiet nevertheless.

"So you found yourself a snitch? You sure he's reliable?"

"I'm always sure" Shuuhei said, suddenly in a more serious tone, "I'm aware of the dangers, I can't afford being wrong." Kensei knew this to be true, Shuuhei would've ended up dead long before now if he wasn't good at his job.

"So who is it?" Shuuhei waited to answer as a young waitress poured him more coffee while walking past their table. He sipped the bitter liquid, he had already lost count on how many cups he had drank that day.

"You know there is a whole new political party emerging in the city?" he asked Kensei in return. The man grunted, apparently signaling a positive answer. _Not the most talkative type then, are you._

"Well, I happened to meet their leader, a young man called Kisuke Urahara. He's been involved in the politics for some time now and knows all the ins and outs of the current city government. To my luck, he wants to clean this city from filth as much as I do" Shuuhei explained in a hushed tone, "and he would be ready to help us."

"So he'd be willing to testify against the mobs?" Kensei queried, his fingers had finally stopped tapping the table. Shuuhei erred and tilted his head from side to side.

"Well yes and no, he's willing to help me get more evidence but doesn't want to be mentioned by name anywhere. He wants to be the mayor someday, that's why he's agreed to help." Kensei leaned back on his seat, crossing his arms on his chest again. Shuuhei was beginning to like that gesture, he was pretty sure Kensei himself had no idea how much he flaunted his biceps when he did that but the young man wasn't going to complain anytime soon. If he had to endure a police officer dragging behind him he'd might as well try to enjoy the perks.

"So everyone's in this for personal gain" Kensei scoffed, throwing a look at Shuuhei from under his brow, "what's in this for you then?" Shuuhei looked offended and frowned at the man.

"You want me help or not?" he snapped, "I don't have to help you, you know. I could stop risking my own life and leave this mess to you, like it should be." For good few seconds the men stared at each other, the battle of wills almost tangible between them. Finally Kensei cracked the young man a crooked smile, tearing his eyes away.

"Fine then kid" he said, amusement making his gruff voice sound softer, "let's do this your way." Shuuhei held back his victorious grin and emptied his coffee cup.

"That's more like it."

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><p>Later that day, when sun had already set, Shuuhei was standing on a street corner, smoking a cigarette and looking cool and bored. He knew Kensei was supposed to be there somewhere but couldn't spot him no matter how hard he had looked. <em>Guess he's a pro after all. <em>Shuuhei blew few smoke rings into the air as a tall, lanky man strolled past him, throwing a long look at him. Shuuhei looked straight through him, as if the man didn't even exist. He could sense the man was weighing his options either to start harassing him or just walk away and luckily chose the latter, leaving the young man alone. Few minutes later he could hear footsteps coming closer and stumped his cigarette on the ground, crushing the stub under his shoe. A young man with long blond hair casually walked to him, holding a cigarette between his lips.

"Gotta light?" he asked, the cigarette moving up and down as he spoke. Shuuhei took out his lighter and lighted the man's cigarette, not saying a word until he had drawn in a lungful of the bitter smoke.

"Quiet night, eh?" the blond man asked, smoke flowing from his nostrils.

"Till now" Shuuhei replied, his hands tucked into the pockets of his coat, head cocked to the side.

"Quite a ballsy move to come here" the other man continued, flicking ash from the end of his cigarette.

"I wouldn't know about that" Shuuhei said, shifting his weight from one foot to another.

"I thought you would" the blonde said, throwing a wry glance at the young journalist, "you seem to know so much already."

"Who says so?"

"I think you know that too." Shuuhei leaned his back against the tile wall behind him.

"I thought you'd tell me." The other man chuckled and threw his cigarette to the ground.

"This isn't the best place for this, is it?"

"Depends on what this is." The man flashed him a wide smile that revealed two rows of huge, straight teeth.

"Kisuke told me you were a pro" he said, offering Shuuhei his hand, "Shinji." The young man took his hand and shook it.

"Shuuhei."

"Little Shuu, huh?" Shinji repeated, eyeing the man slowly, "You're not quite what I expected."

"Your loss then, I guess."

"Uh, defensive, are we now?" the blonde chuckled, his slim frame shaking slightly with his laughter, "Guess it's only to be expected. You wanted to talk?"

"I wouldn't be here if I didn't." Shinji huffed out a breath and uttered another dry laugh.

"Man kid, you're really in character, or is this how you always talk? Too much detective movies I'd say."

"Seems to work, doesn't it?" Shuuhei said, now sporting a crooked smile on his face. Shinji cackled and slapped the young man's shoulder.

"If you wanted to annoy the hell out of someone then yeah. Let's walk, shall we?"

"Sounds good." The men started to walk down the street, looking nonchalant and casual until they came to a shady pub and stepped inside.

On the other side of the street, on the roof of an apartment building, Kensei had been watching the exchange with interest. He had been doing some research after hearing who was Shuuhei's newest source and had recognized the blond man to be Kisuke Urahara's assistant, Shinji Hirako. His record had seemed clear enough, he had been doing various jobs before hooking up with the young politician and was now mainly handling his PR. But there had been some suspicious gaps in the man's past and Kensei wasn't completely at ease letting the young man go with him all by himself. He quickly made his way down from the roof to a back alley and ran across the street, pulling up the collars of his coat and pressing a baseball cap on his head. He entered the same pub Shuuhei and Shinji had and quickly scanned the area before walking to the counter, ordering a beer and then chose a spot where he could easily keep an eye out for the young journalist and his newest informant. Shuuhei was sitting in a corner table with Shinji and another young man with messy light brown hair that almost covered his eyes. They were talking and looked fairly relaxed so Kensei wound down a bit, but was still alert in case something went wrong.

Kisuke Urahara smiled covertly at Shuuhei as the young man sat opposite him on their table.

"So you wanted to help me?" the journalist asked him, he had politely refused the drink Kisuke had offered him. The politician laughed softly, his slim fingers drawing circles on the table's surface.

"If by helping you I can steer this city towards something even little closer to decent then yes" he said, "but before I do I need to be sure we share the same goals."

"And what would those be?" Kisuke exchanged meaningful looks with Shinji before answering.

"Well, getting rid of all the corrupted old politicians would be a nice change, the legislation in this city has been handled by those mobsters long enough."

"And you'd be the one to replace them?" Shuuhei asked, cocking an eyebrow at the ambitious young man. Kisuke shrugged his shoulders and tried to look modest.

"I'm almost the only politician in the city council who isn't taking bribes from the mobsters."

"Then how have you even been allowed to be elected?"

"Those crooks can only twist the elections to a limit, in the name of balance they needed to allow one new politician into their ranks" Shinji explained with a wide grin as he glanced at Kisuke, "too bad it happened to be him." Kisuke chuckled again and Shuuhei could sense something other than just purely work-related issues between those two. _Interesting development. _

"Okay, so you just want democracy to kick in, so to speak" he summed up, "that sits well with me. Anything else besides your terrible lust for power?" Kisuke chuckled again, looking at Shuuhei from under his mob of hair.

"I can tell you're a journalist, you can twist my words so wonderfully" he said smilingly and twirled a strand of his hair around his fingers. Shuuhei raised his eyebrows at him.

"I take that as a compliment."

"As you wish." Kisuke glanced across the bar and smiled again.

"Then I might take it as a compliment that you saw fitting to bring your own bodyguard along" he noted. Shuuhei managed to control his facial expression but on the inside he was blaspheming long and hard, this man was good.

"I've managed to make some friends in high places who are worried about my well-being" he quipped, trying to brush off the comment as quickly as possible. Kisuke smirked, not really convinced but let it slide.

"I understand, I'm just used to having mine right beside me" the politician replied, again throwing a look at Shinji. _Bodyguard, yeah right, _Shuuhei mused to himself, looking at the scrawny man. He usually didn't judge people by their looks but he felt much when he had someone like Kensei watching over him. Yet again Shuuhei noticed how his thoughts drifted to the man's muscular body and his handsome features. _Why couldn't they send me someone old and fat, now I just have yet another distraction to deal with, no matter how sweet it might be. Or he, I guess. _

"So do we have a deal?" he finally managed to ask, concealing his inner turmoil behind a one-sided smile. Kisuke nodded and reached his hand over the table for Shuuhei to shake it.

"May this be remembered as one of the great alliances in human history" Kisuke joked as Shuuhei shook his hand.

"If we are even to be remembered" Shuuhei replied reservedly.

"Always the optimist" Kisuke said as he leaned back, lacing his fingers together, "now, after that's been dealt with, shall we finally talk business?"

"Gladly."


	3. Chapter 3

_**I keep hearing the song "Ambiguously gay duo!" playing in my head whenever I write about these two skulking around solving crimes. And now you will too.**_

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><p><strong>Chapter 3. <strong>

After about an hour and a half Shuuhei finally rose from the table, shaking hands with Kisuke before walking away. Kensei was surprised when the young man walked straight to him, scowling at him as he stood next to his table.

"What are you doing?" he hissed under his breath, "I'm supposed to be…"

"He knows about you, so there's no point trying to play it cool anymore" Shuuhei cut him off, "I just came to say that we're done here so you can call it a night and go home to get some sleep." Kensei threw a quick look at Kisuke and Shinji still sitting at their table and the young politician raised his glass to him, smiling coyly. Kensei grunted and got up from his seat.

"He's good." Shuuhei hemmed and nodded.

"I know, but so are we." The older man looked at the young journalist with a raised eyebrow.

"You were quick to adapt having someone watch over you." Shuuhei chuckled as he patted his pockets for his cigarettes.

"It's one of my best traits" he said as he lighted up, offering the packet to Kensei. The man erred for a second but then drew out one cigarette, placing it between his lips. Shuuhei was quick to light it before he even asked.

"I heard they're going to ban smoking in bars" the young man noted as he puffed out a cloud of the bluish smoke.

"Health and safety is the new political correctness" Kensei replied.

"Good to know you have your priorities in check." The older man glared at Shuuhei as the smoke floated out from the corners of his mouth.

"Just because I'm a cop doesn't mean that I make the laws." Shuuhei shrugged his shoulders, to him it was mostly all the same.

"I thought an investigative journalist would know better than to generalize like that" Kensei remarked in a cold tone. Shuuhei cocked an eyebrow at the man.

"Even though I know better, it doesn't mean I don't have prejudices like everyone else" he said, "I bet you have some preconceptions about me as well." Kensei scoffed, throwing another look at Kisuke and Shinji who were still occupying their table at the back.

"If we're done here, shouldn't we just leave?" Shuuhei nodded and turned to walk to the front door, Kensei following few steps behind. Just before he walked out, he noticed Kisuke waving his hand to him, still smiling in that weird way that wasn't quite comforting. He shrugged it off and stepped out into the cool night air.

Shuuhei craned his neck back to look at the darkened sky. It was too cloudy to see any stars or even the moon, or maybe it was just the pollution. He didn't turn to look as he heard Kensei stand next to him, he was so close the young man could smell his clean aftershave mixed in with the cigarette smoke.

"So did you get the information you needed?" the man asked him. Shuuhei breathed in the bitter smoke and exhaled slowly before answering, looking how the smoke trails vaporized into the air.

"He was pretty useful at this point yes" he replied, "if his information is solid, that is."

"How will you know if it is?"

"I just have to test it out, don't I?" Shuuhei smiled at Kensei, who didn't look amused.

"So you're basically going on a whim here."

"That's mostly what I do, yes."

"What if he lied?"

"Then I'll find out quite quickly if he did." Kensei shifted his weight from one foot to the other.

"Doesn't sound too safe to my taste" he grunted.

"Isn't that the reason you're here, to keep me safe?"

"I didn't except you to make it so hard."

"Where would the challenge in that be?" Shuuhei chuckled, trying to lighten up the situation but Kensei was still as stone-faced as ever.

"I'm not comfortable with you placing yourself in danger knowingly. You should be more careful."

"Hey, I'm doing the best I can here, if I get too careful it's suspicious. I can't play it safe all the time" the young man argued, lifting his shoulders up to protect himself from the cool breeze, "besides, what do you care, with any luck you could still blow this whole thing open with the information I got now even if I get killed." Kensei gave him a devastating look, he looked almost majestically offended.

"Do you seriously think that all I care about is the information? That I'm that cold? Listen up kid, I may have lost my faith in the justice in this town but I still know the value of a human life. You throwing yourself in the face of danger is admirable but also extremely stupid, there are other ways to do this."

Shuuhei felt bad, he didn't mean to offend the man. He was just doing his job.

"Okay, fine" he muttered as he stumped out his cigarette, "so what do you suggest?"

* * *

><p>"This is hopeless." Kensei had to stifle his laughter as he watched Shuuhei struggling with the microphone that was taped to his lean upper body. Ulquiorra threw an occasional morose look at them from the kitchen table where he was eating his daily bowl of cereal.<p>

"It'll be fine, they won't notice a thing" the police officer tried to reason. The young man stared at his reflection from the mirror than hung on the wall, scratching his chest which tickled from the tapes.

"What if they search me?" he asked, throwing an incredulous look at the older man.

"Have you been searched before?"

"Well, no, but with my luck they'll do it the second I arrive with this thing strapped to my chest."

"You can't see it once you put some clothes on so just don't get naked and you should be fine." Kensei paused and threw a curious look at the young man.

"Do you usually get naked in these gigs?" Shuuhei snorted but refused to answer. Ulquiorra looked like he was going to say something but Shuuhei's evil glare silenced him effectively.

"I'm not a prostitute" the young man told Kensei, who was wearing that strange half-smile again that showed more in his eyes than on his lips.

"I see" the older man replied, nodding slowly and hid his face from Shuuhei's eyes.

Shuuhei might've been a great investigative journalist but his techniques were quite rough, which was to be expected since he didn't have enough money to buy any real equipment. He had made by using his wits and traditional pen and paper, he didn't even own a recorder. Kensei had visited the police station and gotten some first-rate equipment for the young man to make everything little bit safer and easier for them both. But looking at Shuuhei now, the smallest possible wireless microphone taped to his bare chest and that slightly concerned look crunching his face, Kensei wasn't suddenly sure why he was doing all this. He could've said no to the chief inspector, it would've been the smartest thing to do. Getting mixed with the mobsters was something that could considerably decrease one's lifespan in a very short amount of time and there was no guarantee whatsoever that anything Shuuhei found out would make it to the public eye. Even if they had found some informants willing to talk, getting the mobsters into court would be a whole other story, and getting them sentenced yet another.

Kensei could've just requested for a transfer, his record was impeccable and he would've probably gotten a better position in some smaller town with less corruption and could've lived his live happily until retirement. This wasn't even his home town, he didn't really have any friends besides the ones from work and his family lived far away so there was no real emotional attachment for him here. But still, there was something that made him want to stay and do something about things, or at least try. And seeing this young man try to defeat the whole criminal underground won his own was at the same time admirable and, for some strange reason Kensei's brain couldn't quite comprehend, extremely arousing. Especially when he was standing there with his shirt off.

Kensei stared at the opposite wall, trying to avoid looking at the young man. He had never quite come to terms with his sexuality, mostly because he knew if he wanted to be a police officer he could never be in an openly gay relationship with someone, it would ruin his career. That was why he had devoted himself to his work and taking this mission was just one more thing to distract him from his lack of a social life. But now it seemed that that particular plan was probably going to fail if he had to spend much more time in Shuuhei's immediate proximity. The situation wasn't made any better by the fact that Shuuhei was quite openly homosexual, it was even said so in his file. Prior to this mission he had campaigned strongly for gay rights, writing pamphlets for the organizations promoting sexual equality and had even once been arrested on a protest against sexual discrimination. Kensei could faintly remember seeing a picture of the young man kissing another man during some rally for gay rights plastered on the front page of the local paper. He had been surprised to see it in his file too, that had been almost four years ago but he still looked as young. The years treated some people more kindly than others.

Shuuhei was now pulling a loose t-shirt over his head, the microphone was invisible under the fabric. He stared at his reflection critically until he was pleased that the little device was undetectable and wouldn't get him killed the second he'd meet his contacts.

"Okay, so what now?" he asked, turning to Kensei. The man had been strangely quiet for the past few minutes, even by Kensei's standards. Shuuhei threw a curious look at Ulquiorra, who was scooping the last bits of cereal from the bottom of his bowl. The young man looked as disinterested as one could be as he turned his back on Shuuhei and rinsed the bowl in the sink.

"You ready then?" Kensei's hoarse voiced asked, making Shuuhei turn his eyes back to the man.

"As ready as ever" he replied, doing a mock salute to the man. Kensei looked somewhat troubled now, the smile was gone from his eyes and he just looked tense.

"Let's get going then" he said, walking past Shuuhei towards the front door. Shuuhei tried to catch Ulquiorra's eye as he followed the man, spreading his hands out in confusion.

"Your mess, not mine" the young man replied just as Kensei stepped outside.

"Not helping Ulqui."

"I don't mean to." Shuuhei rolled his eyes at him but the gesture was futile since Ulquiorra had already buried his nose into one of his huge text books.

Outside Kensei was already waiting for him, leaning his back against the steel fence that bordered the entrance to Shuuhei's small basement apartment.

"What's the plan for tonight" he asked as the young man stepped next to him, trying to ignore the chaffing of his shirt against the microphone.

"I'm going to go see if one of Kisuke's hints holds water, he said one of the older politicians meets the mobsters regularly in this restaurant on the other side of town. I'll try to sneak in and see if it's true, and if possible try to listen what they're talking about" Shuuhei explained.

"Does he have bodyguards with him?"

"Guess they both have, the owner of the restaurant is this strange Jamaican guy who has done some time for practicing black magic rituals or something, he's now apparently working for the mobs. So I wouldn't be surprised if all the employees were some small-time crooks too. Great way to find some reliable employees, the mobsters are probably the only people who'd hire former inmates." Kensei scoffed, he had known about the magnitude of the criminals' power in the city but this was just rubbing it in his face. If he had his way they would've just done a surprise bust into that restaurant and arrested everyone present, but that would only anger the mobsters and barely slow them down for few days or so until they were released on bail.

"So are you gonna go in as a customer or just skulk around?" he asked Shuuhei as they walked to the bus stop.

"Little bit of both, I'll have to see once I get there" the young man replied, still glancing down at his chest to see if the microphone stuck out, "you sure this won't suddenly start to wail or something?"

"It's not some piece of shit from the eighties kid, you'll be fine" Kensei assured him.

"Well at least you'll be there to hear it when my brain gets splashed on a wall somewhere." Kensei flinched at the young man's words that were uttered in such a casual and indifferent manner. A young man like him shouldn't be doing work like this and be so used to endangering his life that he was able to say things like that.

"I'm here to keep your brains in your head, not spoiling someone's wallpaper" he grunted back. To his surprise Shuuhei let out a light laugh and patted him on his shoulder.

"Good to see that you do have a sense of humor Kensei. I couldn't do job this if I wasn't able to joke around a bit."

"Oh so that's why, I just thought you had a deathwish" the older man noted, earning another laugh from Shuuhei.

"Well maybe bit of that too" he chuckled, "but mostly because of the bitches." Now Kensei chortled, the statement was so in contrast with everything the young man had said and done it sounded incredibly ridiculous.

"I wouldn't think you'd have any time left for bitches when you work all night and day" he said, the corner of his lips curling upwards into a crooked smile. Shuuhei flashed him a wide grin, his eyes glinting from laughter that made him look even younger and softened his angular features.

"Well now that I have you following me around I've had to cut it down a bit" he said, "can't have you knowing all my secrets." Kensei arched an eyebrow at him, making Shuuhei notice the small scar that marked his otherwise smooth skin.

"I wonder what other dirty secrets you hide under that vigilante exterior" the man asserted.

"I think most of my dirty secrets have been on very public display" Shuuhei smiled wryly, "and I bet you know most of them too." Kensei turned his head away, he knew what the young man meant but didn't want to get into it, not here and if possible never. Shuuhei looked amused and nudged Kensei's arm with his elbow.

"No need to play coy with me old man, I know you know."

"What does that have anything to do with this assignment" the man grumbled, shoving his hands into his pockets. Sexual tension was the last thing he wanted to involve in this mission.

"I've just noticed that something's bothering you when you're around me and I wanna know if that's it." Kensei threw a strange look at Shuuhei, the young man looked sincere but serious. Kensei could guess he was used to people treating him differently because of his sexual preferences, it wasn't easy being an openly homosexual man in this city, especially if you made a noise about it.

"No it's not that" he said, only then realizing that the answer implied he did have some problem with the young man. Shuuhei had also noticed it and smiled plaintively.

"I almost wished it would've been, then I could've just called you a prejudiced bastard" he said, uttering a small mirthless laugh, "it's the only thing about me I can't change so it would've been useless to argue about it." Kensei could see how the young man buried the hurt of his words somewhere deep inside himself and forced a smile on his face.

"But whatever, it's just work eh?" Shuuhei said with a shrug, then focused his eyes somewhere to the distance. _It could've been just work, if it had been anyone else but you. Now it's just a fucking mess, _Kensei sighed inwardly and continued walking in silence until they reached the bus stop. Shuuhei stared out of the window, still quiet. Kensei was too deep in his own thoughts to even try to make conversation. Finally they reached the outskirts of the town and Shuuhei made a move to step out, the police officer following slightly behind him. Shuuhei checked the location of the restaurant from his phone and found out it wasn't that far away from them. Now he finally called out for Kensei who had been lighting his cigarette. The older man had again pulled up the collars of his thick jacket, it looked like something one would wear for a hunting trip during the fall. Shuuhei imagined Kensei wearing the same jacket but with black and red checkers and it made him snigger to himself. He was pretty sure Kensei came from a somewhat wealthy family but doubted they would've hunted for foxes or anything.

"Something funny?" Kensei asked him as they approached the restaurant.

"Just nerves" the young man dismissed, stretching his neck and arms as he prepared himself mentally for the next mission. It would probably take quite long before anything interesting happened but you never knew.

"So you'll wait here and listen out for whatever might happen?" he asked Kensei as the man searched the surroundings for a proper place to keep watch. The man merely nodded with a grunt, setting his sights to a pub that was across the street from the restaurant.

"Alright, wish me luck then" Shuuhei said as he turned to walk into the dragon's den.

"Shuuhei." The journalist stopped to look at Kensei over his shoulder, his eyebrows raised in a silent question.

"Don't do anything stupid" Kensei said as he stumped out his cigarette, crushing it under the heel of his boot. Shuuhei's face melted into a wide smile and he gave the man a mock salute.

"Never do." Kensei stared at the young man's back as he strutted across the street and entered the restaurant. Now all he could do was wait. And hope.


	4. Chapter 4

**_Some real action here, oh my. I'm still keeping these chapters relatively short (at least to my standards) so I can update this fic more often and keep the pace up, at first I didn't even have the first part here but decided to add something from Shuuhei's POV after all. Hope you like it, read and review darlings._**

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><p><strong>Chapter 4.<strong>

Shuuhei was trying to avoid looking at the waiter as he passed by him the third time in the last ten minutes. He had almost finished his sandwich twenty minutes ago but had now been moving the last few pieces around his plate and refused to let the waiter take it. He knew it was bit too suspicious but couldn't afford to order anything else but water and he knew the man would probably kick him out the second he had paid. Shuuhei stared out of the window, trying to see if he could spot Kensei sitting in the pub across the street. He smiled plaintively to himself as he thought of the exchange earlier, the man couldn't even bring himself to say it to his face and still he claimed he wasn't bothered by it. Shuuhei had seen how the man had turned away when he had put the microphone on, he had actually taken his time just to see if he could get a reaction from Kensei but no, just the slight expression of disgust and awkwardness. _Guess there are still a lot people who think of me as something repulsive, _he sighed mentally as he picked out a tiny piece of bread and put it in his mouth, feeling the waiter's eyes on him. The man was standing by the counter, talking with the chef in a low voice so he couldn't hear what they were saying.

_It's only been an hour, anything can happen. Unless they throw me out, _he thought as he tapped his fingers against the table. The wait was making him anxious, especially in this kind of a possibly hostile environment. The adrenaline was still coursing through his veins but now it only made him feel sluggish as the place was as good as dead. Shuuhei started to doubt if his luck had betrayed him this time, it wouldn't be the first. He had lost count on how many nights he had spend in sleazy bars and shivering in some stray alley just to catch a glimpse of some crooks meeting with the socialites, only gathering more sleep deprivation and one hell of a cold. But sometimes you got lucky, like with Kisuke. He had actually tried to hit on him in his inebriated state and somehow got to talking about his work, when Kisuke had told him who he was.

Shuuhei had still been too drunk to actually register this information but luckily Kisuke had been more far-sighted and scribbled his number on Shuuhei's hand before disappearing into the crowd. Shuuhei had proceeded onto drinking away his sorrows with his friends, which had been relatively easy. Grimmjow had been chasing tail as usual, Renji and Kaien had been loud as hell and the redhead had at some point even danced on the tables, dragging Kaien with him. At that point they had been thrown out and joined by Ikkaku, an old friend who had just moved back in town. Shuuhei remembered trying to ask him what he had been up to but the man had been awfully quiet, mainly concentrating on pouring alcohol down his throat.

Shuuhei felt little bad for his friends, he didn't really have time for them anymore with this current job. They had been seemingly pleased to hear from him and even though it had been a weeknight, they all had said yes to getting drunk out of their skulls. They probably wouldn't have even needed a reason for it. Shuuhei smiled as he looked back on the days when he and Kaien had been in college and Renji and Grimmjow had been working some low-paid jobs to make ends meet. Shuuhei and Kaien had always managed to sneak them in to their college parties, causing destruction wherever they went. Kaien's little sister Kuukaku had also tagged along, and Tia, that gorgeous blonde who made all the guys swoon just by walking past them. The youngest of the group was Ichigo, and Shuuhei was quite sure they had ruined him for life by letting him in to their crazy adventures. The poor boy didn't know what had hit him the first time they had walked into a college party and almost got kicked out during the first ten minutes as Grimmjow had tried to empty a whole keg of beer in one go. _Oh youth, _Shuuhei chuckled mentally and he picked another piece of bread as the waiter strutted past him, scowling down at him. Shuuhei sipped on his water and got up to use the bathroom, trying to indicate to the waiter that he wasn't finished yet.

When he walked towards the men's room, he tried to look for any possible places he could maybe hide if he had to come here again. To his chagrin he didn't see any, guess he'd just have to become a regular. Like in countless other shitholes around the town. Shuuhei walked into the men's room and entered a cubicle, sitting on the toilet and glancing at his watch. He could probably just sit here for the next ten minutes and then go back, finish his meal and just lounge around for another fifteen minutes before getting thrown out. He counted the minutes in his head as the men's room door was slammed open, almost making him drop from his seat. He quickly raised his legs up to his chest and listened as two men entered the men's room, talking to each other in short grunts. Shuuhei heard the men go to the urinals and tried to hold his breath to hear what they were talking.

"So what's the boss in here for this time" the first man asked, "I thought he got enough money for last for a year the last time."

"Heard they wanna silence some bright young things who are getting too cocky" the second one replied, "there's one guy in the city council who might be onto something."

"Wouldn't think one guy could do much."

"They hear he's been gathering some assistance, can't have him snooping around for too long."

"If you say so" the man grunted, "are they gonna just scare him or kill him?"

"Bit of both I guess, I hear they might be an unfortunate accident coming his way if things go right today." The other man laughed darkly at this.

"Baraggan sure is a twisted bastard, isn't he?"

"Yeah but pays well so who cares?" The men laughed at their twisted joke as they turned to walk out. Shuuhei allowed himself to breathe little more easily but then he heard the men stop.

"Is that cubicle taken?" _Holy fuck._ Shuuhei had five seconds to think of a possible strategy when he saw the shadows of the men's feet stop in front of his cubicle. There was a knock on the door that made him grit his teeth.

"Come out" one of the men said, "and we maybe won't hurt you." _Yeah, and I bet you still call your mother too. _Shuuhei didn't have time to think of any more witty remarks when the door was brutally kicked in, almost knocking it off its hinges. The two huge men stared down at Shuuhei crouching on the toilet, smiling oafishly.

"Um, I don't think I can explain this" he said, "but at least let me try."

* * *

><p>Kensei looked at his watch and frowned. Shuuhei had already been at a restaurant for an hour and he had heard nothing from his mic. He had suspected the young man had torn it off but then again he would've at least heard that. About ten minutes ago Kensei had seen a car with darkened windows park in front of the restaurant and an older man with two burly bodyguards had walked inside. Kensei hadn't gotten a proper look of the man's face but was quite sure he was the leader of the local conservative party. According to Shuuhei's information he was one of the most influential politicians in the city and up to his neck in bribes. It seemed that Kisuke's information might prove to be correct after all. Kensei tapped his fingers against the glass of beer he had in his hand. He wasn't comfortable knowing that Shuuhei was putting himself in danger all by himself, he would've felt more confident if he had been there with him in the middle of the action. Sitting here and just listening for anything suspicious was grating his nerves, Shuuhei's words kept repeating in his head. He'd been right, if something did happen it was likely that he wouldn't have enough time to bust in and save the young man from getting shot. He'd just have to hope if he got caught the criminals would be just like in the movies and do a ten minute monologue before actually doing anything.<p>

Suddenly Kensei heard some noises from his earpiece that was connected with Shuuhei's microphone. He frowned as he tried to heighten his hearing to make out what the noises were saying. He then heard Shuuhei's voice speaking, the young man tried to explain something jokingly but apparently it didn't work out since the next thing Kensei heard was a loud clatter and then Shuuhei shouting. Kensei almost knocked his glass over as he ran out of the pub and over the street, only slowing down once he was at the restaurant door. He tried to listen for any sounds that would hint where the young man was or if he was being taken somewhere. Kensei cursed as he drew out his gun and went around the building, trying to find a back door. He ended up a lone alley filled with trash cans that reeked of rotten food. There was a back door but it was locked.

Kensei erred for a second but then kicked it open, revealing a small darkened room that apparently worked as a storage. He pressed his body flat against the wall before stepping inside after he was sure no one was coming to check what the noise was about. Kensei inched across the room to the next door that he guessed lead to the kitchen. He could hear the clattering of pots and pans and smell food behind it. Suddenly he heard footsteps nearing the door and looked around for a place to hide but there was nothing in the room besides some boxes. Kensei quickly ran back into the alley and crouched behind a large trash can where he still could see to the door. He realized the mobsters would probably notice the kicked in door but hoped that they would be too busy to care for it.

He heard the storage door open and few seconds later one of the bodyguards he had seen before stepped into the alley dragging Shuuhei with him. Kensei cursed in his mind as the young man was thrown to the pavement, the other bodyguard stayed standing by the back door. The other man had his back to Kensei, his huge form looming over the young journalist who was lying on the ground.

"Fucking nosy fucker, don't you have any respect?" the man grunted at Shuuhei who looked slightly rumbled but otherwise okay. He stayed on the ground but Kensei could see his hand reaching for something behind his back. _Oh fucking kid, I told you not to do anything stupid. _

"Hey, why was this door open?" the other man asked and looked at the door more carefully, "looks like someone kicked it open." Kensei noticed Shuuhei's eyes darting across the alley, probably looking for him. Kensei knew he couldn't step in yet, the men would just claim the young man had tried to approach their boss and they had to kick him out, he couldn't argue with them. Plus it would look too suspicious if he jumped out from the trash cans at this point.

"Probably someone got the boot and took it out on the door, doesn't matter" the first man said, keeping his eyes on Shuuhei. Kensei tried to see if the men were armed, they most likely carried hand guns but otherwise he could only guess. Then the first man reached behind his back and drew out a knife that had been hidden under his shirt. Shuuhei stopped his scrambling and stared at the sharp blade, his other hand still behind his back. _Fuck, _Kensei swore and shifted his feet under him so he could leap out any second.

The man stepped closer to Shuuhei, the young man looked defiantly at him and tried to breathe slowly to keep his nerves under control. This wasn't the first time he was neck-deep in trouble but this time he may have went bit too far and wouldn't be just let go with a stern warning. He could see it in the man's eyes, he had crossed some sort of line this time. Besides that this man was clearly looking for any excuse for violence. He reached down to grab the front of Shuuhei's shirt, pulling him to his feet. Shuuhei had managed to slip his hidden knife into his sleeve, he knew how to use it if it came to that. The bodyguard raised his own blade next to Shuuhei's face, his eyes instantly drawn to its shiny surface. _Kensei, now it would be time to fucking do something heroic like you're supposed to, _the journalist thought as panic started to raise its head in his mind. As if the man had read his thoughts there was a loud clang that made both bodyguards turn around to see Kensei standing at the alleyway, holding up a gun in his hand.

"Don't move" he ordered, his voice deeper and more authoritative than usual. Shuuhei held back a relieved sigh as the bodyguards exchanged nervous looks. Then the other man pulled out his own gun and fired it at Kensei.

Shuuhei didn't even know what happened before Kensei had fired back and the bodyguard dropped to the ground with a loud yell. Shuuhei used the confusion to his benefit and slipped the knife into his hand, slashing towards the face of the man still holding him. To his scorn, the man didn't let go despite he managed to hit his cheek, blood spurting out of the wound hitting Shuuhei's face. The man looked at him with such fierce rage it almost stumped the young man for a second and then he felt blinding pain on his face. Shuuhei screamed out in pain and let go off his knife, pressing his hand to his face to feel warm blood staining his skin. He heard yet another gunshot and the man's grip on him finally loosened, making him fall to the ground. He couldn't move as the pain took over his other senses. He was faintly aware of Kensei grabbing him into his arms and lifted him off the ground, then the man ran out of the alley.

"You stupid son of a bitch" the man hissed as he ran down the street until he was sure they were far enough from the scene. He lowered Shuuhei down to the ground, the young man was whining quietly and pressing his hands to his face, blood was running down his arms.

"Let me look" he said softly, trying to pry Shuuhei's hands away. The young man's breathing was shallow as he finally let Kensei draw his hands away to examine the damage. The older man frowned as he saw the laceration that went from Shuuhei's forehead over his right eye to his cheek. It hadn't punctured his eye which was good but it would certainly leave a scar.

"You'll live" he grunted as he let the young man press his hands back to the wound, "I'll call help and get you to a hospital, try to breathe."

"Okay" Shuuhei managed to wheeze as his panic slowly faded, "you sure about that?"

"I've seen men walk away from lot worse" Kensei said as he took out his phone and made a quick call. Shuuhei smiled faintly at the man, suddenly there was something incredibly funny about this whole situation. As he started to laugh quietly Kensei threw a concerned look at him, a deep scowl furrowing his forehead.

"You feel okay kid?" Shuuhei let out a lilting laugh and shook his head, taking his hand of his face and stared at it with his good eye.

"So much blood" he chuckled but his face contorted into a desperate expression despite laughter still bubbled from his lips. Kensei knelt down beside him and grabbed his hand into his.

"Breathe" he said to Shuuhei, sensing the young man was going into a shock, "look at me and breathe." Shuuhei let out a quiet whimper at first but when Kensei repeated his words sternly he finally started to calm down, his breathing steadying slowly. The blood still oozed from the wound and now stained Kensei's hand too as he kept holding onto Shuuhei's hand.

"That's it, you're gonna be okay" he said in a softer tone, glancing around them to see if anyone had come after them. Luckily the street was empty, not even a single passer-by on sight. Suddenly Kensei felt Shuuhei jerk his hand and almost fell on top of the young man, their faces only inches apart. The older man looked Shuuhei straight in the eyes, half of his face covered in blood that was already clogging on his hair.

"Thanks" the young man whispered quietly, his voice faltering.

"No problem kid" Kensei replied, trying to ignore how Shuuhei was pulling on his hand so he would move closer, "just don't do anything that fucking stupid anymore, or I won't do it again." Shuuhei let out a short laugh, then lowered his eyes to his hand that was holding onto Kensei's. As he noticed how strongly the man was resisting his tug, he stopped and tried to let go but Kensei still held onto him.

"I'm sorry" Shuuhei murmured almost inaudibly, realizing just how stupid he was. He had both them both in danger and now he had screwed this up too.

"Don't be" Kensei said, not letting go of Shuuhei's hand, "just promise you won't do it again."

"Then I can just as well stop this all now" the young man replied, "I knew the risks when I started but this was worth it." Kensei frowned, had Shuuhei managed to actually get some information before he got himself thrown out?

"So you did find out something?"

"Yeah, I just hope it was worth this" Shuuhei uttered just as they heard a car drive towards them. It stopped beside them on the curb and the driver's side door was opened, a tall man with tousled brown hair half- stepping out.

"Oooh, that looks bad" he said to them, grabbing a half- smoked cigarette from behind his ear and drawing in a lungful of smoke, "can he walk?" Kensei wrapped his arm around Shuuhei's waist and raised him to his feet, walking him to the car.

"Starrk, this is Shuuhei, an inspiring journalist" he introduced as he helped Shuuhei to the backseat of the car.

"Hopefully it won't be left at that" Starrk remarked as Kensei hopped into the passenger's seat and they drove off, "where to?"

"The nearest, whatever it is" Kensei said and turned to look at Shuuhei who was lying on the backseat, "you hang in there kid, remember to breathe."

"Yes sir" Shuuhei replied with a mock salute. Kensei smiled that crooked smile at him again before turning to face forwards again. Starrk kept his eyes on the road, the limp cigarette from his mouth.

"I didn't you know still did undercover gigs Kensei" he said, changing gear as he sped up on a straight road, "seems you're in deep this time."

"Not my fault, the kid was trying to play a hero and it backfired" the man grunted, "I haven't fired my gun in years before this." Starrk raised his eyebrows at this and the tires of the car squealed as he turned around a corner. He stumped his cigarette on the small ashtray between the front seats and threw a quick look at Kensei.

"You don't look that bothered" he noted to Kensei with a wry smile on his lips. Kensei scoffed but had to admit it, feeling the adrenaline course through his veins did bring back some memories, good and bad ones. He had never felt quite at ease being an office worker and despite how badly things had gone, he felt almost giddy from all the excitement. He just had to hide it from Shuuhei, the kid might get a wrong message if he knew. He glanced at Shuuhei over his shoulder, the young man was breathing steadily now and seemed quite calm, the wound wasn't that bad after all. Headwounds just tended to bleed like hell, plus the situation had been quite threatening. But if Shuuhei said it had been worth it, Kensei just had to trust him. Now if he would just tell him why.


	5. Chapter 5

_** Not so much action this time but a lot of familiar faces. Read&review my pretties, make my day (not in that Clint Eastwood/Dirty Harry- kinda way but still).**_

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><p><strong>Chapter 5. <strong>

Kensei tapped his foot against the hospital's laminated floor. Shuuhei had been in the operating room for good twenty minutes now and of course no one was telling him anything because he wasn't his relative or spouse. The man scoffed to himself, he had weighed on the option of claiming to be Shuuhei's partner just to make things easier but had decided not to, he could sense the young man had some sort of a trial- and- error thing going on with him. Kensei didn't want to feed his imagination but he had to admit, it would've have almost been worth seeing the look on Shuuhei's face if he had claimed being the young man's partner. _Don't play with such things, _Kensei scolded himself, _slipping can be so easy. _

He looked along the white corridor, there was one hospital bed with an old woman lying on it, she was apparently sleeping or just immobile. Kensei felt guilty for not being even slightly more humane and go check up on her but was currently too concerned about Shuuhei's well-being. The young journalist had seemed alright by the time they had gotten into the hospital, except for the wound on his face but sometimes shock might hit you afterwards, human psyche was surprisingly strong if you just allowed it to kick in and protect you from the shock. Kensei had seen people go through such inhuman things he had been sure they would lose their minds but most of them had survived, he was in awe every time he realized just how much a person can take if they just let their body and mind take care of everything.

The door beside Kensei opened and he perked up as a doctor wearing green scrubs came out of the room, taking off his rubber gloves.

"Hey, excuse me?" Kensei asked the man who turned to look at him wearing the most indifferent expression Kensei had seen in a while. For a second he forgot his question as he took in the man's strange appearance, he had striking dark blue hair that stuck out from under his cap and large piercing eyes that had a strange golden tint to them. Also it seemed that his teeth were slightly too big for his mouth since he was wearing a constant small grin that revealed his upper teeth.

"What is it?" the doctor asked Kensei as he said nothing.

"Ah yeah, is he alright?" Kensei asked, gesturing towards the room of which the doctor had just come out. The man eyed Kensei slowly from head to toe, a very calculating look that made the man shift uneasily.

"You're not related to him are you?" the doctor asked him, a slight sarcastic tone creeping into already his strangely distressing voice.

"Eh, no, but I brought him here and just wanted to know if he was okay, when can he go home and such" the police officer explained though he felt like the doctor had already decided not to believe a word he said.

"I see" the doctor said, his creepy grin slightly widening, "why should I believe you?" Kensei frowned and with a slight hesitation pulled out his badge, almost shoving it to the doctor's face.

"I believe I have the authority for it." The doctor's smirk waned for a second but then immediately came back, his eyes glinting in the artificial light of the hallway.

"What a surprise, sergeant Muguruma" the doctor said, reading Kensei's name from his badge, "I might've known." Kensei flicked the badge back into his pocket and looked at the doctor expectantly.

"So, how is he?" The man still looked like he was enjoying some inside joke with himself, taking his time before answering.

"He'll have a somewhat large scar on the right side of his face and his vision might be slightly impaired but otherwise…" the man shrugged his shoulders with disinterest, "nothing special." Kensei fought back a relieved sigh. The doctor cocked his head to one side and looked at Kensei with a slightly keener look in his eyes.

"I take it you harbor a personal interest for this young man's well-being?" he asked, that grin slowly spreading wider.

"That's none of your business, doctor…" Kensei paused to read the man's name from his ID- card than hung from his breast pocket, "Kurotsuchi."

"Of course not" the doctor almost chuckled, "I should've guessed." The man's eyes darted to Kensei's hand that still sported some blood stains, he had tried to wash away the most of them. Kensei balled his hand into a fist, trying to hide his bloodied fingers.

"Can I see him?" he asked.

"Are you going to interrogate him?" Kurotsuchi asked in a sly tone. Kensei narrowed his eyes at him, weighing his answer.

"As I said, it's none of your business."

"He's my patient, you can't just walk in and start harassing him, he's in a vulnerable state" Kurotsuchi replied but Kensei could hear from his voice that Shuuhei's well-being was the last thing this man cared about, he just wanted to screw with him.

"I just want to make sure he's fine" Kensei said in a forcedly calm tone. Kurotsuchi stared at him for few seconds longer, making his skin almost crawl but then he finally just scoffed and nodded towards the door.

"Fine, like I care." With that the doctor just strutted past Kensei, muttering something under his breath. Kensei glanced after him over his shoulder but decided to ignore the strange man's ranting. He opened the door into the operating room and walked inside. Shuuhei was lying on the bed, bandages covering the right side of his face almost entirely. His chest was rising and falling steadily. The blood had been cleaned from his face, neck and hands, his bloodstained shirt was gone. And so was the microphone Kensei realized as he walked to the bed. He cursed mentally, of course that doctor had noticed it and made his own conclusions.

Kensei scowled as he realized the possibility that the man might have connections with the mobsters, he could easily inform them now when Shuuhei wasn't in full health, and things could get even more difficult than they already were. _Goddamnit kid, why did you have to be so stupid, _Kensei thought as he leaned his hand on the edge of the bed, looking down at the young man. He seemed to be asleep for now, the shock had taken its toll on his body. He looked so much younger without the worry lines crunching his forehead and that concentrated scowl shadowing his eyes, making him look so tense and agitated.

_You work too much kid, _Kensei mused with a small crooked smile on his face, reaching his hand to touch Shuuhei's face before he even realized what he was doing. His fingers brushed over Shuuhei's forehead from his untouched skin to the bandage, careful not to disturb the young man's sleep. He snapped his hand quickly back as his self-preservation kicked in and he turned his back on the bed, inhaling slowly through his nose to calm himself down. _It's just work, just work, be professional goddamnit, _Kensei scolded himself and pressed his face into his hands. _Fucking kid, I've never slipped, I won't start now. _

"You okay there?" Kensei whipped around as he heard Shuuhei croak, the young man was awake and looking at him with his one good eye.

"I didn't know you were awake" he muttered back, scratching the back of his neck. Shuuhei smiled faintly and turned his gaze to the ceiling.

"I nodded off for a while there, that doctor was kinda…taxing." Kensei frowned but wasn't really surprised.

"I can go get you another doctor if you want me to, he seemed like a real creep." Shuuhei shook his head slightly and swatted the air with his hand.

"Don't bother, I'm just tired now. I'll be fine." Kensei stared at him quietly, noting the absurdity of the statement. He was far away from fine, his face had been slit. It was a lucky straw he hadn't lost his eye completely or gotten stabbed instead of slashed, the bodyguard could've easily jammed the knife straight into Shuuhei's brain. The gruesome thought made Kensei shiver and he let out a low growl, he would've wanted to make sure that man was dead and not just wounded. He had shot him in the kneecap so the man would live the rest of his life as a cripple but right now, looking at Shuuhei's marred face, it didn't seem nearly enough. Shuuhei glanced at him and seemed to notice his tension and darkened expression. He reached his hand to grab Kensei's, almost making the older man jump.

"I'm not sure if I thanked you for saving my life" he said quietly, "but I'm more than grateful." Kensei shook his head, lowering his gaze to the floor.

"No point in thanking me, I acted too late" he mumbled, "it's my fault that you're here." Shuuhei shook his head again and squeezed Kensei's hand.

"I was the stupid one here, I was careless. It would've been a lot worse without you. So just accept my thanks and let's forget about this." Kensei's jaw tightened as he looked at Shuuhei. _How can I forget when every time I look at you I remember that moment I feared for your live, when I failed to save you? I don't know who's stupider, you for going out there and risking your life or me because I try to stop you. _Shuuhei raised his hand to touch the bandages covering his face and flinched.

"The doctor said it'll leave a scar" he noted to Kensei whose hand he was still holding. He noticed the older man wasn't pulling away from him, again.

"Scars tell stories" Kensei said before he had a chance to stop himself. _Good work on being empathetic, idiot! _Shuuhei didn't seem offended, he just looked at him with a curious look in his eye.

"Oh yeah? Then what's the story behind that one?" he asked, pointing towards the scar on Kensei's brow. The man instinctively brushed over the scar with his thumb, the memory of how he had gotten it flashed in his mind.

"Injured during the act of duty" he said with a monotone, repeating the basic response of a police officer. Shuuhei snorted and uttered an amused laugh.

"I could guess as much, I asked for the story, I'm a journalist remember?" the young man said, his own smile was also crooked now as the bandages impaired his facial expressions. Kensei hemmed and pulled himself a chair to sit down beside the bed. His hand slipped from Shuuhei's grip, and he almost grabbed the young man's hand again as he had sat down but managed to stop himself. Shuuhei rested his hand on the edge of the bed, as if offering it to him still. Kensei harrumphed before starting to tell his story and leaned his elbows on his knees, crossing his fingers under his chin.

"It was about a year ago when I was in the drug squad, we were doing a drugs bust into this house in the outskirts of the city. This guy had been selling some crack cocaine that had all kinds of shit in it, lots of addicts had died right after injecting it. We had traced the guy with the help of one addict who had managed to survive and decided to just bust in. He was unarmed but high as hell, he was just psychotic. I was in the frontline and he jumped on me, clawing my face like some animal." Kensei traced the small scar with his index finger, Shuuhei was listening to his story attentively.

"I used to have a piercing right here, a small silver ring. He grabbed it and tore it out, it bled like hell. But I just went berserk after that and almost choked him with my bare hands before the others managed to separate us." Kensei paused for a second as his expression darkened again.

"He was released on bail since the evidence suddenly didn't hold and now he's selling drugs to kids. I saw him in the force the other day and that's why my hand was busted." Shuuhei glanced at Kensei's hand that still had visible scratches on the skin.

"I'm sorry" he uttered, not really knowing what else to say. Kensei scoffed and waved his hand dismissively.

"Don't bother, it's not your fault. He's just one reason why I want us to blow this whole thing wide open, once and for all." He looked back at Shuuhei, the young man was almost taken aback by the inner flame that now burned in Kensei's eyes, making him look even more intimidating than usual. For the first time Shuuhei felt like this man shared the same passion as he did and they wanted to same thing.

"I promise, we will do that" he said and grabbed Kensei's hand into his again. The man didn't resist or flinch, his grip was firm but gentle. Shuuhei felt a smile tug his lips as Kensei squeezed on his hand.

"But from now on, we work together, okay? No flying solo anymore." Kensei said sternly, and Shuuhei could swear the man sounded almost as if he cared for him and his safety.

"Alright, deal" he replied and shook Kensei's hand. The man flashed him that one- sided grin of his but this time it had actual warmth in it besides the usual grim amusement.

"Finally you said something sensible." Shuuhei uttered a laugh and let his smile spread to his face.

"I'm getting there."

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><p>When Shuuhei got back to his apartment, Kensei still adamantly following him to make sure he wouldn't suddenly collapse, he was surprised to find his four closest friends sitting in his small living room. Ulquiorra was hiding in the corner, seeming completely oblivious to the rest of the world with his chemistry book. The second Shuuhei stepped into the room, a redhaired young man bounced up from the couch and ran to him, his eyes scanning the young man from head to toe and Shuuhei could see the shock in his eyes as he noticed the bandages covering half of his face.<p>

"Shuuhei, what the fuck…" Renji started but then noticed Kensei lurking behind the young journalist. Renji pointed at the older man with a deep frown on his face, the gesture made his tribal tattoos crunch together.

"Who's that?" Shuuhei opened his mouth to answer but Kensei was quicker. He stepped up and flashed the young man his badge, making his eyebrows sprung up under the bandana that was tied around his head.

"Sergeant Kensei Muguruma, citizen" the man announced and Shuuhei noted how he was again using that deep, authoritative tone of voice. Shuuhei had to keep his face in check as the memory of their first meeting flashed in his mind and what he had thought of Kensei back then. _Even when I'm sober the thought is very tempting…Oh gods, not now, not this again, be professional you idiot. _

Meanwhile another young man with a burly frame and ridiculously blue hair had also walked to them and was narrowing his eyes as he stared at Shuuhei's wounded face.

"What's under there?" Grimmjow asked, pointing at the bandages. Shuuhei scratched the slightly itchy bandages and shrugged.

"Just a little accident at work, nothing special."

"If it's nothing special then why did they call us from the hospital?" the third man sitting on the couch queried with an arched eyebrow. Kensei frowned as he recognized the man's face from somewhere and was right, Kaien Shiba was the heir of one of the largest companies in the country. Shuuhei had named him as his contact person some time ago, his friends had been worried for his safety and demanded it. Renji was still staring at Kensei with slight suspicion in his eyes.

"Why are you with him, we thought all the cops were corrupted in this town."

"He's one of the good ones, don't worry about him" Shuuhei was quick to put in before Kensei opened his mouth.

"How can you know?" the youngest of the four asked, an orange-haired teen who was leaning against the living room wall with his arms crossed on his chest, "Kinda odd that you got injured just when this guy came along." Kensei threw a piercing look at the young man but he responded to it with his usual defiance, Ichigo wasn't easily intimidated by authority. Shuuhei spread out his hands and tried to calm his friends down.

"Listen, I'm just fine, Kensei here saved my life, it could've been a lot worse if he hadn't been there. I got careless, that's all. As I said, nothing special so don't sweat about it." The four young men turned their eyes back to Kensei, the older man was wearing that very serious expression on his face again, his brows knitting together and his mouth as a tight line. Grimmjow scoffed throwing his head back, folding his arms across his chest.

"A real tough guy huh?" Kensei's eyes moved to the young man, as if challenging him to prove it.

"Guys, stop it, I'm serious" Shuuhei ordered, getting tired of the situation. Kensei looked at him with worry furrowing his brows and stepped closer to the young man, flattening his hand between his shoulder blades.

"You need to rest" he said though it was more of an order than just a simple notion. Shuuhei nodded and smiled thankfully to him, then looked back at his friends.

"Thanks for coming guys but I'm really tired, I'll call you when I'm feeling better ok?" The four young men nodded with slight grumbling but let Shuuhei walk to his room in peace. After the door closed they turned their collective attention back to Kensei who felt like being in front of a jury. He braced himself for whatever was to come.

Kaien was the first to speak. He sighed as he ran his fingers through his messy black hair, walking to Kensei. He eyed the older man with noticeably less aggression in his gaze than Renji and Grimmjow.

"We know Shuuhei is obsessed with this job and he'll do basically anything to get it done" he started, glancing at his friends, "but sometimes he can only see the goal and not all the obstacles. Who can really blame him, he's just a kid like us." Kaien shrugged his shoulders and smiled faintly. Kensei felt awful, now seeing Shuuhei's friends he actually realized just how young he was, he was barely out of university and already risking his life for his work. His friends were probably living normal lives with studies, low-paying jobs and hanging out with other young people, Shuuhei was almost completely devoid of that. He buried himself into his work and probably wouldn't rest until it was finished. Kensei was slightly amazed he had even agreed to take few days off to rest.

"We're just saying we're worried for him, messing with the mobsters…It's gonna end badly" Renji put in, "and he won't let us help or even tell us what he's doing, as you just saw."

"What actually happened? Will he be okay?" Ichigo asked, walking to the others. Kensei weighed on not telling them but could sense he'd need the trust of Shuuhei's friends if he wanted to keep on working with the young man.

"We were following a clue and Shuuhei got caught eavesdropping on some big shot politician's bodyguards, I managed to get us out of there before it got worse but Shuuhei got his face slashed, He'll have a scar but he'll live."

"Holy fuck" Renji gasped and Grimmjow cracked his knuckles.

"I'm gonna find those motherfuckers and kick the shit out of them" the young man growled. Kaien lowered his hand on his shoulder to calm him down.

"Easy Grimm, we won't do Shuu any favours if we go on a killing spree after those bastards" he said and glanced at Kensei with knowing eyes, "besides, I think the sergeant here has already given them something to think about." The four young men looked at Kensei expectantly as if waiting for him to accurately describe the damage he had caused the bodyguards.

"They'll live too" he finally grunted, earning somewhat disappointed looks, "but they won't be enjoying it." A grim smirk spread to Grimmjow's face and Kaien nodded approvingly.

"Sounds good enough for us. I hope you can have Shuuhei's back in the future too, I doubt we've seen the last of this."

"I won't have him run into danger anymore, at least alone that is" Kensei replied sternly, remembering the promise he had made to himself. Ichigo grinned widely and slapped Kensei on his arm.

"You seem like a sound guy Kensei. I'm glad Shuu has someone badass like you with him." Renji chortled and grabbed the young man into a headlock ruffling his orange hair.

"You'd like some badass watching your back, wouldn't you Ichi" he laughed as Grimmjow joined in taunting their youngest friend. Kaien watched as his friends wrestled into the living room and almost crashed into Ulquiorra's chair, making him nearly drop his book. The young man threw a devastating glare at the three youngsters and got up, snapping his book shut with a loud thud.

"First my apartment becomes some sort of a spy headquarters and now apparently a wrestling arena" he said in such a harsh tone it made even Grimmjow flinch, "I have to study constantly if I want to enter into the medical school and you goons just run around like nothing. I've had enough, everybody out. This second."

"Hey Ulqui, be cool" Grimmjow tried but was cut off as Ulquiorra promptly smacked him over the head with his text book, "owww, fuck!"

"I said out" Ulquiorra repeated and continued whacking his friend until he had managed to shoo them all out of the flat. Even Kensei didn't dare to stand up to the stoic young man's sudden rage and exited the flat, Ulquiorra slamming the door shut behind them. The five men stared at each other for few seconds trying to figure out how to proceed from thereon. Grimmjow scoffed and shoved his hands into the pockets of his leather jacket, nodding with his head.

"Let's get going, Tia promised us dinner tonight."

"You're invited too Ichi" Kaien noted to the young man who responded with a wide smile. Renji looked at Kensei who was feeling somewhat like an outsider amidst the group of friends.

"We'll probably see you around Kensei" he noted, sounding much more friendlier than originally. The older man hemmed and nodded in response, before turning to walk into the other direction. The four young men stared after him for a while before turning to walk back home, it wasn't even a minute before Renji and Grimmjow were brawling again and chasing each other along the street, Kaien and Ichigo trying to keep up with them. Kensei could hear their laughter good few blocks away and wasn't sure if it made things worse or better. On one hand it was comforting to know Shuuhei still had some real friends, a link to an ordinary life but on the other hand he would've felt better if Shuuhei had been there laughing along with his friends, not recovering from a violent assault. _And this is just the beginning, _he thought grimly as he flicked his collars up against the wind. _It's only going to go worse from here._

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><p><em>Getting darker by the chapter...Let's see just how far I can take that. Trying to balance out the action&amp;plot with some sexual tension, hope it comes out okay. <em>


	6. Chapter 6

_**My updates will probably be on slight hiatus for the next month or so since I have loads of deadlines coming up and a trip abroad right after that…I'm not sure if I'll be working this summer but if I won't then updates will most likely be more frequent so bear with me darlings.**_

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><p><strong>Chapter 6. <strong>

Shinji Hirako was making his usual rounds in the campaign office, mainly keeping an eye that people wouldn't steal any stationery. When he was done he nonchalantly strutted towards Kisuke's personal office, basically a slightly bigger broom closet at the back of the cramped office space. He didn't bother knocking, as Kisuke's right hand he had the privilege of disturb him anytime he felt like it. With slight difficulty he opened the door, pushing away some piles of papers that were spread on the floor. Kisuke was currently on the phone, the cord winding around his neck and hand as he spun around in his chair. His old suit was crumbled as always, his tie loose around his neck and there was a coffee stain on the front of his white shirt that also needed to be ironed. Shinji held back a slightly amused sigh as he closed the door behind him, quietly tip-toeing cross the room to Kisuke's desk. The man was still talking on the phone, or rather listening intently, making complimentary noises every now and then and quickly picked up a pen and scribbled something on a random piece of paper.

"A-ha, of course, yes yes yes" he muttered, holding the phone between his head and shoulder as he finished writing, "thank you very much, I'll be in touch as soon as possible. Yes, take care." Kisuke finally put the phone down and only now looked up at Shinji, who was leaning his hands against desk. The blond man nodded towards the phone Kisuke had just hung up.

"Who was that?" Kisuke smiled at him and folded his arms on the desk, his head tilting slightly to the side.

"No one of importance" he replied, still fiddling with the pen in his hand, "you know the type." Shinji scoffed and spun around, hopping up to sit on the edge of the desk. He leaned his hands back and felt Kisuke's fingers brushing over his wrist.

"Sure do, they seem to dally around here every day now" Shinji said, throwing a glance at Kisuke over his shoulder, "so you won't tell me?"

"Not until it matters" Kisuke smiled and now slid his fingers up Shinji's arm, earning a slight shiver from the man.

"Right, figures" the blonde snorted and leaned into Kisuke's touch, the man's hand now travelling up to his neck and gently pulling Shinji down. A wide smirk spread to Shinji's face as he lied down on the desk, Kisuke's hand sinking to his hair and tilting his head so they could kiss. Shinji moaned quietly as Kisuke's tongue slid into his mouth, his hands slipping on the papers that covered the desk. Shinji rolled into his stomach as Kisuke wrapped his other arm around his shoulders and pulled him closer. Shinji's feet rose from the ground as he was half lying on the desk and half on Kisuke's lap. The kiss got more heated and their hands tangled around each others' bodies before Kisuke's chair tilted back too much and they tumbled to the floor with a loud crash. Shinji let out a long and colourful string of curses as he tried to push himself up from the floor, Kisuke lying under him still in his chair. As Shinji finally managed to scramble off from him, he noticed the man was chuckling quietly, that usual wry smirk on his face.

"What's so funny`" he hissed as he rubbed his knee that he had hit on the edge of the desk. Kisuke just shrugged and spread his hands to his sides, looking quite serene and relaxed. It almost made Shinji angry when he looked like that no matter what the situation. Being so relaxed wasn't normal, he was probably on something stronger.

"Well that was kinda funny, don't you think?" Kisuke asked, throwing an amiable look at Shinji, who responded by rolling his eyes and struggling back to his feet.

"That was Kensei by the way." Shinji's forehead scrunched as he heard the name.

"Who?" Kisuke swung his legs in the air, seemingly not bothered by his current position.

"The undercover police keeping an eye on Shuuhei." Shinji huffed as he remembered the big burly man that had followed them to their meeting place.

"What did he want?" he asked as he idly arranged the papers on the desk.

"He just called to inform me that Shuuhei had gone after one of my leads and gotten himself almost killed by Luisenbarn's thugs. He didn't sound pleased." Shinji's hands stopped and some sheets of paper slid from his fingers, slowly drifting to the floor.

"He…wh-what?" he managed to utter and turned to look at Kisuke whose face had finally settled into a more serious expression, the smile was nowhere to be seen in his eyes.

"They had caught him eavesdropping in the men's room and one of them had managed to cut Shuuhei's face before Kensei had the chance to save him. He's on sick leave now, so his investigations will probably have to wait for a while." Shinji stood stumped in his place as he imagined the young man they had met just few days ago getting beaten up by Luisenbarn's bodyguards. The man was notorious for his less than gentle approach to things, in politics and in other areas of his life as well. This wouldn't be the first time his minions would be handing out some brutal advices on how not to approach their employer.

"Will he be alright?"

"Apparently yes, he'll have a scar to show for it but otherwise he should be fine. Kensei just wanted to inform me about it…And possible make me feel guilty for it as well."

"Well he certainly succeeded in that" Shinji scoffed as he bent down to pick up the fallen papers. He turned to look at Kisuke over his shoulder with a slightly arched eyebrow.

"Or did he?" Kisuke was staring up at the ceiling, tapping his fingers against his chest.

"Kisuke" Shinji said, a slight mix of worry and anger creeping into his voice. He knew Kisuke was passionate about his career and ridding the town of corruption but getting young men killed because of it wasn't the way he wanted to do it.

"Of course I feel bad" Kisuke finally said, "I'm just thinking…"

"What?" Shinji frowned, crouching down next to his partner, he knew that calculating look in Kisuke's eye.

"This might be too big of a deal to be left just for the two of them." A slow grin spread to Shinji's face and he flexed his hands eagerly.

"You mean…" Kisuke turned his grey eyes to Shinji, the man's fervent expression almost made him laugh.

"I think it might be appropriate" he said, "considering the circumstances." Shinji chuckled lowly and jumped up to his feet, already running for the door.

"Shinji" Kisuke called for him just before he ran out, finally pushing himself up from the floor and leaning his arms on the desk. The blond man turned to look at him, his hand already on the door handle.

"Yeah?"

"Don't go overboard with this, okay?" Shinji's grin widened, revealing his straight white teeth.

"Who says I ever do?" With that he exited the room, closing the door hastily behind him. Kisuke turned to pick up his chair from the floor and sat back into it, slowly swiveling back and forth with a contemplative look on his face. He knew he could trust Shinji with his life but sometimes the man had a tendency to go bit too far in his actions. If he wasn't working for Kisuke, he dreaded to think what he would've used his various skills for. _I think the whole town is safer when he's here instead of roaming the streets, _Kisuke thought, tapping his chin with his index finger, _I'd hate to have him as my enemy. _A wry smile tugged on Kisuke's lips. _Someone else has to worry about that quite soon._

* * *

><p>Shuuhei was still half-asleep as he suddenly felt like he was being watched. The feeling was only reinforced as he felt a slight poke on his arm, to which he responded with a low groan and tried to roll to his side, wrapping the covers tighter around his body. Another shove between his ribs ensued, making him flinch and let out a protesting growl.<p>

"Go away" he grunted, trying to hide his head under the covers.

"Your sidekick is here to see you." Ulquiorra's low monotone voice pierced through Shuuhei's sleep, making it finally elude him completely. He turned around and pushed the covers lower, slowly opening his eyes to see his roommate standing next to his bed, hands tugged into his pockets.

"What?" Shuuhei mumbled, raising his hand to rub his eyes when he remembered the bandage covering half of his face. He balled his hand into a fist as he tried to resist the urge to scratch the itching skin under it and instead tapped himself on the forehead with his knuckles. Ulquiorra didn't seem to notice his strange gesture but just glanced to the hallway from the open door.

"He wanted me to come wake you up before he stomps in" he said, "I don't really understand why but who am I to argue with a man whose muscles are barely contained by his clothing." At this point Ulquiorra gave Shuuhei a somewhat curious look that the young reporter couldn't quite read, which wasn't that unusual considering his roommate's strange detached behavior.

"So Kensei's here?" he asked, still feeling bit groggy.

"Unless you have several ridiculously pumped up men watching over you I'd say yes" Ulquiorra said, now the other corner of his mouth slightly curling upwards, "though considering it's you we're talking about, I wouldn't really be surprised." Shuuhei rolled his eyes and kicked the covers off himself, throwing his legs to the floor.

"Very funny Ulqui, you can leave now, thanks." The young man didn't say anything as he walked out and into his own room, Shuuhei heard the door close as he stretched his arms above his head, flexing his back before walking into the living room. He immediately recognized the familiar form of Kensei standing at the doorway, his arms folded across his chest and his face fixed into a serious scowl as usual. Shuuhei smiled at him and waved his hand.

"Good morning" he said and noticed the smallest of smiles flash on Kensei's face.

"You look awful" the man blurted out and walked towards him, he was wearing his civil clothes again. Shuuhei was in a way grateful but somehow disappointed, the man had looked so good in his uniform. _Maybe it's better this way, I should be the professional here damnit. _

"Gee thanks" he replied with a snort but turned quiet as Kensei walked right in front of him and raised his hand to his face. Shuuhei almost forgot to breathe as Kensei tugged on the bandage covering his face, the man's eyes narrowed as he carefully pulled the bandage aside. Shuuhei hissed in breath as the rough fabric was drawn away from the wound and screwed his eyes shut. Kensei hummed in a tone that was either approving or concerned, Shuuhei wasn't quite sure which.

"Looks alright" the man noted as he tugged the bandage back, "did you take your medicine yet?"

"No, I just woke up" the young man said and touched the bandage to see if it was properly in place, "what's the time anyway?" Kensei raised an eyebrow at him.

"It's three already. You've slept quite a while."

"Oh" Shuuhei uttered, only now looking out of the window and seeing the daylight, "right." He turned his eyes back to Kensei, who was still standing bit too close for comfort.

"So why are you here again?"

"To see how you were" Kensei replied, now looking incredulous again, "why do you think I'm here?" Shuuhei opened his mouth to say something but snapped it shut, it wouldn't be wise to spill out everything that popped into one's head. Instead he shrugged his shoulders and only now noticed how Kensei was seemingly struggling to keep his eyes fixed on Shuuhei's face. Then the young man remembered he was only wearing his briefs, he hadn't bothered putting on any clothes since he would most likely go straight back to bed anyway. He had to fight a smirk that tried to creep to his face seeing the man's obvious discomfort, he wasn't quite sure whether it was because the man wanted to be nowhere near his almost naked body or if it was the only thing he wanted. He sure as hell wouldn't ask him which it was, no way. He wanted to test it. Shuuhei shuffled still a bit closer to Kensei, their bodies were only inches apart now and Kensei's jaw clenched as his eyes bore into Shuuhei's, the young man was still fighting a smile as he tried to act casual though he could now smell Kensei's aftershave and see how his chest muscles were drawn against the fabric of his shirt. The man's glare only turned harsher as Shuuhei exhaled slowly, knowing the man could feel his breath on his skin.

"That's very kind of you" he said quietly, his hand itching to touch the man who was so obviously bothered by his close proximity, "you really didn't have to." Kensei merely grunted, his eyes now dropping slightly lower to Shuuhei's mouth and he had to bite his tongue so he wouldn't lick his lips. The young man hemmed and lowered his gaze for a second, as if only now noticing his current attire and then looked back up at Kensei with an almost apologetic smile on his face.

"Sorry I'm not really presentable at the moment" he said, "I just got out of bed." Shuuhei enjoyed the small flicker in Kensei's eyes that told him the man had just thought of him in bed, alone or maybe not. He weighed on the option of irking him further or just going for it, he should've said he had taken his medication so he could've blamed it all on just a drug fueled haze. Shuuhei did realize this could ruin everything but things were tense as they were and either he could try to ignore or do something about it, they said the biggest homophobes were scared of their own homosexual tendencies so maybe Kensei was just hiding his true desires behind that tough guy act.

"Maybe I should go then" the man managed to grunt and already took a step back before Shuuhei hooked his fingers on his belt loop. Before the man had a chance to ask what Shuuhei thought he was doing the young man had leaned forward and pressed a light kiss on his lips. Kensei's eyes widened but he didn't shove Shuuhei away like he had anticipated but didn't respond to the kiss either. The kiss only lasted for few seconds until Shuuhei pulled back, letting his hand slip away from Kensei. The man was staring him with a slight panicky look in his eyes, his breathing had stopped almost completely and Shuuhei was slightly afraid the man was having some sort of seizure. He tilted his head to one side and took a step back, letting the man breathe easy.

"You okay there?" he asked, this wasn't quite the reaction he had anticipated. The man looked actually scared instead of hostile. Shuuhei almost waited for him to just bolt out of the door never to be seen again.

Kensei slowly licked his lips, his breathing slow and deliberate now. His eyes darted from Shuuhei to all around the apartment, as if he was looking for something.

"You…Ah…" he mumbled, Shuuhei had never seem him act this incoherent, even in the face of danger he had been fearless but now it seemed he had just lost it.

"You" he repeated, looking lost, "why?" Shuuhei's brows knitted together, he had thought it was quite obvious why.

"Just wanted to test a theory" he said, shrugging his shoulders again, "don't take it personally." Seeing Kensei's expression didn't turn any better Shuuhei started to feel bad, maybe he had messed his psyche somehow with his little stunt.

"I'm sorry if I upset you" he added, "I didn't mean to."

"Aha" Kensei muttered and raised his hand to rub his neck, now avoiding Shuuhei's eyes, "so that's what it was."

"Sorry?" Kensei snapped his gaze back to the young man, the usual stern glare was back again.

"I don't appreciate you playing around with me, Hisagi." Shuuhei frowned as the man used his last name, though he could understand he wanted to distance himself from the incident.

"I said I'm sorry" he replied, shifting his weight from one foot to another.

"Well tough luck" Kensei snapped, he was starting to look angry now but Shuuhei wasn't quite sure why. If he hadn't liked the kiss he would've pushed him away, not taken his time like this.

"I just wanted to see what your deal here is, it's pretty obvious there's something going on" Shuuhei replied. Kensei scoffed at him and turned his head away, his whole posture was rigid and shoulders tense. Shuuhei waited for him to deny it all but to his surprise the man instead grumbled.

"I was trying to be professional here, unlike some" Kensei threw a quick look at Shuuhei under his brow, "mixing personal relations into this isn't healthy."

"Healthy?" Shuuhei almost laughed, "That wasn't the word I expected." Kensei cocked an eyebrow at him.

"Then what was?"

"I dunno, stupid, dangerous" Shuuhei listed, "you name it. Healthy just sounds like you're going to catch a disease or something from this." Now even Kensei snorted, his posture slowly relaxing a bit.

"So you're not mad?" the young man asked him, daring to smile a little. Kensei turned to look at him in the eye now, a strange twinkle in his eyes.

"No, you'd know if I was" he said, "I'm just…Bit on edge."

"Why is that?" Shuuhei queried, he was getting curious now. It seemed his little experiment had worked out after all, he could already feel the earlier tension easing. Kensei shifted on his place, his hand still rubbing his neck.

"I'm not really…comfortable with this thing" he finally uttered, "I've never been. I can't be since I'm a cop, I just…can't do it." He glanced at Shuuhei again, the young man was trying to make sense of his words.

"No one can know about this, alright?" _Oh so that's why, _Shuuhei finally realized, _of course, it makes sense now. Why didn't I get that before?_

"Don't worry, I don't kiss and tell" he promised Kensei, though the man still looked bit hesitant, "but what's next then?" Kensei frowned, crossing his arms on his chest.

"Next? What do you mean?"

"Well obviously there's something going on, do you wanna ignore it or actually do something about it?" Kensei's frown deepened and he had that professional expression on his face again.

"We have work to do, don't you remember that?"

"I do, but we have to spend almost every waking hour together so things could get uncomfortable if we just try to act as if nothing ever happened" Shuuhei added, trying to make the man finally say something of his true feelings. Was he just something threatening his walls or something more special? Kensei cocked his head to one side as he eyed Shuuhei, his eyes narrowing as if he tried to see straight into the young man's brain.

"You weren't just testing a theory, were you?" Shuuhei hemmed and tried not to look like the man had caught him red- handed.

"Well let's say I don't go kissing around every man I meet, does that answer your question?" Kensei didn't look like it did but dropped the issue anyway, he was already dreading on thin ice as it was and didn't want to dwell into it further, at least for the moment.

"Fine, I have to go back to the force. You take your medicine, I'll see you in a few days."

"You won't come visit me?" Shuuhei could see how Kensei's brow twitched as he heard the question and had to contain himself from smiling.

"I don't think that would be wise" the older man said, emphasizing his words to effect, "in the light of the circumstances." Kensei glanced at Shuuhei from the corner of his eye.

"Me being an undercover cop and all."

"Oh right yeah, sure" the young man nodded, still holding back his smile. Kensei looked around him in the apartment, the awkward moment of departure had made him lose his cool, finally. To Shuuhei it was refreshing to see the man stripped from his serious demeanor at least for a while.

"Well anyway…take care kid" Kensei finally grunted, throwing one last longer look at Shuuhei before he walked out, leaving the young man standing in the living room. About thirty seconds later Ulquiorra's room door opened and the stoic young man's head appeared from the crack. He looked at Shuuhei's near naked form and arched an eyebrow at him.

"Must've been quite an official meeting." Shuuhei snorted at him and scratched his itching face, now the withheld smile finally gracing is features. Ulquiorra let out a small sigh and leaned his head on the door frame.

"You're an idiot Shuuhei."

"I know Ulqui" the young reporter replied, his smile only widening, "I know."

* * *

><p><em>Hmm, not quite sure of this particular chapter. Shuuhei is maybe bit too OOC for my taste, but he's going to get more serious as things advance so no fear. He's not as awkward socially as I've made him to be in my other stories but the setting it bit different so I hope you don't mind it too bad. But I like writing Kensei as this slightly oppressed homosexual, it's a whole different aspect than what I've done before, usually my gay characters have been very open and accepted in the surrounding society without any fuss but here it's bit more realistic maybe? Tell me what you think, I'd appreciate it. <em>


	7. Chapter 7

_**And this is back from the hiatus too, hurrah! Work and studies take up so much of my time I fear for my very sanity, so I consider this therapy. I hope to update more frequently from now on, though I have so many other stories going on as well that I finally know what I will do with them. I really should finish one story before writing another, this is just stupid.**_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 7. <strong>

Shuuhei was sitting in the waiting room of the hospital, desperately trying not to scratch his itching face. He fiddled his hands on his lap, trying to occupy them with something that would take his mind off the awful prickling that almost felt like his face was on fire. Finally a doctor came out from the hallway and called out his name, this was a different man than the last time he had been here.

"Hello" he greeted the man and offered him his hand to shake. The doctor was a man in his forties with silvery hair and clear spectacles, his cold eyes scanning Shuuhei's face quickly before he shook his hand with some distain.

"This way please" the doctor ordered as he turned around and walked along the hallway into his office. Shuuhei frowned at the man's cold behavior but it was slightly less off-putting than that creepy blue-haired guy from before. The doctor sat in the office chair by his desk and gestured Shuuhei to climb onto the operation table.

"You were treated by dr. Kurotsuchi earlier, correct?" the doctor asked him as he looked through his file.

"Yeah, he told me I could have the stitches removed in a few weeks" Shuuhei replied, finally sitting on his hands to keep them from scratching his face. The doctor hummed and scribbled something on his file before getting up and walking up to him, his hands quickly starting to remove the bandage covering Shuuhei's face.

"Have you changed this yourself?" he asked with a slight frown.

"No, my roommate is a med student, he's helped me out" Shuuhei said and drew in a hissing breath as the coarse fabric was stripped from his face.

"I see."

"Sorry I didn't catch your name, doctor?" Shuuhei asked as the man pressed his fingers against his now exposed face.

"Ryuuken Ishida" the man answered in a tone that seemed to indicate he rather would've kept his identity to himself.

"Nice to meet you" Shuuhei said with a slight smile.

"Stay still" Ryuuken ordered promptly as he grabbed a pair of rubber gloves from the pocket of his coat. _Don't they teach bedside manners for these people anymore? _Shuuhei thought as the doctor continued examining his marred face.

"It's healing well, the scar will be quite fine" Ryuuken told him, "you got lucky he used a sharp blade." Shuuhei nearly flinched, he hadn't told anyone in the hospital how he had gotten the wound on his face.

"I…I don't know what you're talking about" he tried to bluff but Ryuuken gave him a doubtful look over the rim of his glasses.

"Don't bother acting more stupid than you are" he told Shuuhei as he turned to his desk and scribbled something on a piece of paper, "and don't underestimate me either." Shuuhei's eyes narrowed as he stared at the man's back, he clearly knew more than he let on.

"Alright, how do you know about what happened?" he decided to ask as the man turned back to him, taking off his rubber gloves. Ryuuken stepped closer to him and handed him the prescription note.

"How do you think we are able to keep confidential information from anyone if we ourselves don't know what's going on with our patients?" the man asked as Shuuhei took the prescription. Shuuhei raised his eyebrows at him in an understanding gesture as Ryuuken poured some antiseptic liquid onto a piece of cotton and wiped the scarred skin with it. Shuuhei noticed the wound didn't sting as much as it used to, and the itching had slowly started to ease as well. Ryuuken took out some gel and dapped it on the scar before wrapping a new bandage on Shuuhei's face.

"It needs to heal for a week more or so, that prescription is for the gel that will help the scarring process. Put it on every time you change the bandage." Shuuhei nodded, the gel felt cool on his face and made his skin feel slightly numb.

"Come back next Friday, we should be able to remove the stitches by then" Ryuuken said as he walked to his desk again and sat down, clicking the mouse on his computer few times. Shuuhei jumped down from the operation table and instinctively raised his hand to touch the bandage on his face.

"I'd also suggest you let your friend play the hero for awhile" Ryuuken noted just as Shuuhei was about to walk out. The young man whipped around and stared at Ryuuken, he was sure the man hadn't seen Kensei with him the last time he had been here.

"Who are you anyway" Shuuhei asked, "and how do you know all this stuff?" Ryuuken took off his glasses and cleaned them on the hem of his coat, not even looking at Shuuhei.

"It's quite arrogant to think that you're to only in this town who holds vital information on what is really going on" the man replied and put his glasses back on, "perhaps you should concentrate on finding out more people who might help you instead of lurking in bathrooms trying to gather information." Ryuuken turned his eyes back to Shuuhei.

"There are many people in this town who share your objectives. It would be wise to find them before you take any more drastic measures." Shuuhei frowned at Ryuuken and folded his arms on his chest.

"Do tell." Something almost resembling a smile flashed on Ryuuken's face before he turned back to his computer.

"I thought you were an investigative journalist, isn't it your job to find these people?" Shuuhei opened his mouth to argue but snapped it shut, it was pretty clear this man wouldn't tell him anything more. _But he's told me plenty already…There are a lot of people in this city who can walk around almost invisible, they're bound to hear stuff they're not meant to hear. _Shuuhei gave himself a grim smile. _And it's my job to find them._

"Thank you doctor Ishida" he bid the man as he opened door, "see you next week." Ryuuken said nothing as Shuuhei left, he just stared at the screen of his computer. Less than a minute later there was a knock on his door.

"It's open." Ryuuken didn't bother turning around as the door was opened and someone entered his office. Mayuri Kurotsuchi was wearing bloodied scrubs and a surgical mask around his neck, bloody rubber gloves were sticking out of his pocket.

"What did you tell him?" Mayuri asked Ryuuken, the man was still facing his computer instead of looking at his visitor.

"Barely anything, he's smart enough to figure the rest out himself." Mayuri scoffed, folding his arms on his chest.

"Judging by his previous performance I highly doubt it."

"He made a mistake. Now we just have to hope he learned from it" Ryuuken replied, finally swiveling in his chair to face Mayuri. He cocked an eyebrow at the man appearance but wasn't surprised, Mayuri had more than a healthy professional interest in all things bloody and gory.

"So now we just wait until he fucks up again or actually manages to do something, eh?" Mayuri asked, scratching his head so that his deep blue hair stuck out from under his cap.

"We cannot interfere with this issue any further, just admitting him to this hospital is a breach of the contract." Mayuri chuckled darkly, Ryuuken's warning didn't seem to faze him at all.

"I had hoped those thugs that cop shot would've been brought here, I doubt anyone would've missed them" he noted with a fierce smirk. Ryuuken frowned at him, Mayuri's lack of empathy and thirst for blood was something that he'd always find off-putting, no matter how long he worked with him.

"If things continue to this direction, I suspect we will have more than our share of bodies in our hands" he said, "this small incident is just the beginning." Mayuri's smile bared all his teeth, two rows of huge straight teeth that didn't even seem human anymore.

"Looking forward to it."

* * *

><p>Kensei had just clocked himself out of the force and was walking down the steps from the building as he noticed something was off. He could almost feel someone watching him, a near sixth sense kind of a feeling that he had developed during his career as a police officer. He raised up the collars of his jacket and tucked his hand into his pocket to find the keys to his car. As he walked down the street to his car, he could feel someone's eyes on him, a kind of a tingling sensation on the back of his head. Acting as if everything was perfectly normal, he unlocked his car and was about to open the door when he finally heard footsteps behind him, just few feet away. With one quick movement Kensei crouched down, slammed the door of his car open and felt it hit something. His stalker let out a pained groan and staggered backwards, allowing Kensei time to get up and deliver a swift kick at him that swept the man off his feet. Kensei walked over to the man but stopped as he heard an all too familiar clicking sound behind him.<p>

"I'd play nice if I were you, officer." Kensei slowly raised his hands behind his head and backed off from the man lying in the ground. The man coughed few times before jumping to his feet, shaking his head.

"First cop who can actually land a hit on me, cool" the man smirked at Kensei, earning a scowling look from him. The man was wearing all black clothes and a heavy chain that hung from the belt loops on his jeans. Kensei noticed the chain resembled more barbed wire than a normal keychain and suspected it wasn't just an accessory. The man's head was shaven completely bald and he was slightly taller than Kensei, there was a fierce look in his eyes as he stared at Kensei. Despite Kensei had kicked him hard and hit him with the car door, the man didn't seem hurt at all. Most men would've been immobilized for minutes after an attack like that. Kensei shifted his footing in case the man would attack him again, he was clearly not just your ordinary thug from the streets.

The other man who was behind him slowly walked into his field of vision, now he didn't look like any common criminal Kensei had seen before. He wasn't quite sure if he even was a man, he had very feminine features and long black hair, he was wearing a well-fitted black suit with a purple dress shirt underneath and a black tie. He was holding an automatic pistol in his hand and Kensei could see he knew how to use it. The man threw a quick look at his partner who was flexing his neck, still wearing that near crazy smile on his face.

"You okay Ikkaku?" he asked, earning a light laugh from the man.

"He's tough, but that was nothing" the bald man replied. Kensei eyed the two men carefully, it was clear they were no common criminals, but he couldn't remember seeing their faces on any police records. They must've been new in town, maybe new in the whole country. _Some foreign mafia perhaps? But they don't have an accent, they sound local. _

"Why were you following me?" he asked, catching the men's attention back to himself. The man with the gun smiled at him but the effect was lost as he still was holding a gun to Kensei's head.

"We just wanted to talk, that's all. But we should've known better than to sneak up on a police officer, especially someone like you."

"What does 'someone like me' mean?"

"A real cop, not some pussy ass sell-out who takes bribes from the mobs" Ikkaku replied, brushing his hand over his shaven head.

"Why would you want to talk to me? I've never seen you before in my life." The other man laughed again but his gun was still pointed at Kensei.

"We've been asked to help you out, by a common friend."

"Why would I want your help?"

"Oh, it's not really about what you want. It's about what you need, and it seems that you need us" the man continued, tilting his head to one side, "you and that little friend of yours." Kensei felt his blood turn cold in his veins.

"Oh don't worry, we won't hurt him" the man was quick to say noticing the glare Kensei gave them.

"I find that hard to believe when you're still pointing a gun to my head."

"Well you attacked my partner first."

"You sneaked up on a police officer, and I think you're aware of the situation in this city. You can't blame me for being paranoid."

"Okay, fair enough" the man said and finally pulled his gun away, clicking the secure on place, "let's start over shall we?" Kensei nodded and slowly lowered his hansd back to his sides.

"I'm Yumichika by the way" the man introduced himself as he tucked the gun into his trousers, "and this is Ikkaku."

"Kensei Muguruma" the police officer said, keeping his eyes on the pair the whole time. Yumichika smiled and glanced at his partner.

"Would've been embarrassing to find out now that we had the wrong guy, eh?" Ikkaku snorted but then looked around them on the street.

"Maybe we should take this somewhere private" he suggested, "we had enough of luck already not being noticed yet."

"Wise suggestion" Yumichika said and looked back to Kensei, "shall we?" Kensei glanced over Yumichika's shoulder at the police force, then when he was sure no one was watching he nodded.

"You lead on."

* * *

><p>After a short walk they had ended up in a small pub just on the outskirts of downtown. Ikkaku had bought them drinks and Yumichika had occupied a small table in the far corner of the pub where they could talk in peace. Kensei still felt on edge, just the mentioning of Shuuhei was still irking him. Yumichika smiled at him over the table and pushed his drink to him.<p>

"Relax, as I said we're here to help you."

"After threatening me and a young innocent man I find that bit hard to believe" Kensei said, ignoring his drink. Yumichika raised an eyebrow at him and flashed a quick smirk.

"I wouldn't go calling him innocent but whatever floats your boat. And as I said, we won't hurt him, even if you decide not to cooperate."

"Why do you even want to help me? And help out how?" Kensei asked as Ikkaku downed half of his pint in one go. The bald man wiped his mouth on the back of his hand before answering.

"We told you, a friend asked us for a favour and we said yes."

"I don't have friends who'd know people like you." Yumichika chuckled lightly at this notion.

"Then what do you call this young man of yours, is he not your friend?" he asked and then leaned in closer with a certain twinkle in his eye, "Or is he more than that?" Kensei glared at Yumichika in a way that made the man back off but the smile stayed on his face.

"That answers it" he noted but before Kensei had a chance to storm out he continued, "if you want to prevent that kind of accidents from happening again, you need us." Again Kensei froze at the mention of Shuuhei and despite his disdain for these two, he sat back down. Yumichika sighed and looked at Kensei with a more serious look in his eyes.

"Just listen up, okay? We promised we'd help you out and trust me, we don't like the situation in this town anymore than you do. But it's too big to handle by just the two of you, no matter how good you are." Kensei grunted but had to admit the man was right, he had known fighting against the whole goddamn mafia was just hopeless, it went way too far for his jurisdiction and they had already risked their lives without getting any real results to show from it. They needed all the help they could get.

"Alright, so how are you going to help us?" Ikkaku smirked and exchanged knowing looks with his partner.

"We possess some skills that might come in handy in a situation such as this" he said, "and we'd be happy to offer you our services."

"Care to elaborate that?" Kensei asked with a stern expression on his face. He had a fairly good idea on what kind of services these two provided.

"Well, a professional never gives a way his secrets but let's say we have ways to get rid of certain people who might cause our clients trouble. Or just piss them off."

"Let me guess, hired muscle? Now why would that help me?" Yumichika gave Kensei an amused look as if he had said something very naïve.

"Well, the people you're after tend to possess fearsome bodyguards and other people who might prevent you from getting to the source you need. We can removed these obstacles and make your work considerably easier."

"So you kill people? For money?" Kensei leaned back on his seat and folded his arms on his chest.

"Do you have any idea what would happen if people found out I had hired two assassins to kill off criminals?"

"No one has to find out" Ikkaku said as he finished his beer, "plus, we never get caught. Our skills go beyond just regular hitman jobs, we know what we're doing. And dare I say, we are the best at it."

"How comforting" Kensei grunted, "so you suggest that you kill off all the people who are causing trouble in this town and then we waltz in and take it from there? How quaint."

"Well, it's bit more complicated than that" Yumichika said, leaning his elbows on the table, "we need to make it look like it all happened naturally, that there was some commotion in the underworld and the scales were turned, causing a change in the power structure. That's where you come in and reveal the city its ugly face."

"Easier said than done" Kensei noted, "I don't suppose you'll tell me how exactly you plan on doing that?"

"We have our ways, but it's safer if you don't know too much" Ikkaku said, "in that case someone does get on our trail, we need to make sure no one will rat us out."

"Nice to know I'm trusted." Yumichika and Ikkaku both laughed at this.

"Would you trust us if you were in our place? Didn't think so. So, how about it, do we have a deal?" Kensei eyed the two men slowly, their offer seemed too good to be true, and according to his previous experiences, such things usually were. But he didn't really have a choice, if he'd only have himself to look after he'd decline the offer in a second but just the thought of Shuuhei's scarred face made his blood boil so that the idea of causing as much pain and suffering to the people responsible felt more than alluring to him. He reached his hand over the table to Yumichika.

"Deal." Yumichika flashed him a wide smile as they shook hands.

"Glad to hear you do have some sense in you after all, Kensei." Beside him Ikkaku laughed darkly and cracked his knuckles.

"The fun is just about to begin."


	8. Chapter 8

_**And another new chapter, though it feels everything is moving on so slowly. But then I checked how many actual pages the whole story would take as of now and it's only about forty pages so not that much actually, considering it's not a real short story or anything. "Love On The Rocks" has double the word count and it has only 11 chapters so it really makes a difference. Anyway, hope it doesn't feel that slow to you, things do happen in this story, I promise! Guess my style of writing is just this kind of dragging on and on and making everything last forever. If you like it, then great but I know it might not be for everyone's taste. Well, haven't got any flames yet so let's continue as we are. Read&Review darlings!**_

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><p><strong>Chapter 8.<strong>

Ulquiorra's brow twitched in annoyance, a sign that was a clear warning to everyone who knew him better. But this time he was faced with a man who hadn't only seen him once or twice, but was also so ignorant that he most likely wouldn't have cared anyway. Kensei shifted his weight from one foot to another, his hips cocking to the side as he tapped his fingers against his bicep. Ulquiorra was far more receptive to body language than the police man and could tell the man was growing impatient very quickly. As he opened his mouth to ask the same question for the fifth time within ten minutes Ulquiorra used his death glare that worked even on Grimmjow. That was why he was so incredibly pissed off as Kensei barely noticed the look he was given and outed the same question yet again.

"How much longer?" Ulquiorra was considering on spitting out a devastating remark at the man about the more than questionable relationship between him and Shuuhei but gathered that Kensei would most likely choke him to death seconds after he had uttered the words so he swallowed his pride and the bitter words along with it.

"I told you, I don't know. It's a basic procedure but they have to be careful because of the location of the wound. Be thankful they're making sure not to leave any additional scarring." Kensei didn't seem to appreciate this considerate act but just scoffed and started pacing around in a small circle in the waiting room of the hospital. Ulquiorra rolled his eyes at the sight but said nothing, growing up with such muscle-headed idiots as Grimmjow, Renji and Ichigo had taught him that with some people it's just better to save your words and trust that they'd get what they deserved sooner or later.

Finally the door of the operation room opened and Shuuhei stepped out. Ulquiorra almost smiled at the speed of Kensei's head turned towards the sound of the opening door, it was a miracle he hadn't snapped his neck. The young reporter walked over to them, the still fresh scar was clearly visible against his pale skin. He managed a smile at his roommate and partner, and made a note of how different reactions they gave him. Ulquiorra looked as morose as ever, his eyes scanning the scar on Shuuhei's face with pure scientific and medical interest, whereas Kensei looked almost choked up. An expression that was a mixture of relief and horror flashed on his face for a second before he regained his composure and his face fixed into that stern glare he wore so well.

"You okay kid?" he asked as he made a move to step closer to Shuuhei but then held himself back, resulting in a strange twitching movement he tried to disguise as a some sort of a stretch.

"Yeah, it doesn't really hurt that bad" Shuuhei replied and flexed his hand as he almost reached up to touch the scar. Ulquiorra had already berated him countless times not to prick on it, the scar would most likely stay on his face for the rest of his days so he shouldn't try to consciously make it worse.

"It's healed pretty well" Ulquiorra noted, sounding exactly like Ryuuken Ishida when Shuuhei had seen him the week before. _Guess that's where he gets that emotionless tone of voice from, _the young man mused to himself as Ulquiorra turned away, seemingly already bored. He hadn't wanted to come here in the first place but Kensei had somehow managed to drag him along. Shuuhei didn't even want to imagine what the man had said to Ulquiorra to change his mind.

"So we're good to go?" Kensei asked, rolling his shoulders back so that they popped audibly. Shuuhei made a mental note of how the man looked even more tired than usual, the circles around his eyes were darker than before and his eyes were slightly bloodshot. But the man himself seemed to be more wired than actually exhausted, like he had gone past the limit when you feel tired and beyond it to the area where sleep started to seem just a waste of time. _He's probably hopped up on caffeine and energy drinks, I think I saw some cans in his car when we drove here. _A light smile crept on Shuuhei's face as he imagined Kensei starting to spiral into a caffeine- induced frenzy, but then wondered what had propelled him to it. They had agreed to put their mission on hold for the time being, maybe he was busy at his regular job? _But I thought he mainly did office work there, he said he hadn't touched a gun in years before this happened. _

Shuuhei had to abandon his thoughts for the moment as Ulquiorra already had started walking towards the exit and had to rush his steps to catch up with him. He was already halfway to the doors when he noticed Kensei was lagging behind and turned to see if something was holding him up. To his surprise Kensei was talking with that creepy doctor who had fixed his face in the first place, Kurotsuchi was his name. The doctor seemed slightly peeved by the fact that Kensei was even talking to him, wearing a disgusted sneer on his face that spelled out disdain loud and clear. But Kensei didn't seem to notice or then he just didn't care as he continued talking to the man in a low tone so that Shuuhei couldn't make out what he was saying.

The doctor seemed reluctant to give answers to him but managed to utter few short words before trying to take his leave but was stopped as Kensei reached for his arm. He didn't grab him though, but Kurotsuchi visibly flinched and stayed put for a minute or so more as Kensei continued his seeming interrogation before he was finally satisfied and let the man go, and he strutted off with an offended look on his face, tilting his chin up in a deviant gesture. Kensei didn't even notice anymore as he caught up with Shuuhei, who was giving him a very curious look.

"What was that all about?" the young man asked as Kensei walked to his side. The sergeant stayed quiet but gave Shuuhei a long meaningful look that seemed to say that he'd explain everything later. Shuuhei thought about arguing with the man but had already learned that it would be futile, so he trusted Kensei would tell him all he needed to know when the proper time came.

Ulquiorra was already standing outside by Kensei's car as they came out, the young man as tapping his foot against the ground. Shuuhei flashed him an apologetic smile but the gesture was wasted on the stoic young man. Ulquiorra glared at Kensei who was fiddling with his car keys.

"Be quick with it" the young man snapped, earning a somewhat amused look from the police sergeant who suddenly began moving in almost slow-motion. Shuuhei cast his eyes down and pressed his hand against his mouth so he wouldn't laugh out loud, the sheer look of near royal annoyance on Ulquiorra's face was too much to bear. Kensei threw a quick look at the young reporter fighting against his laughter and allowed himself a crooked smile. Finally he let Ulquiorra out of his misery and opened the car doors, the young man hopped into the backseat in a flash. Kensei walked to the other side of the car and insisted on opening the door to Shuuhei, who looked slightly embarrassed and taken aback at the same time.

"It's my face that's ruined, not my strength" he noted to Kensei as the man held the door for him so he could climb in.

"I know" he replied and pressed the door shut before walking around the car again and sat on the driver's seat. As he started the car he glanced at Shuuhei with a sudden intensity in his eyes.

"And it's not ruined." Shuuhei wasn't quite sure why such a matter-of-fact notion should have made him feel so flushed but it did. There was something in the look Kensei gave him that seemed to say that he meant it in more ways than one. Shuuhei could almost a feel a blush creeping unto his face and quickly turned to look out of the window, now feeling Ulquiorra's eyes boring to the back of his head. The young man had said nothing more about the incident at their flat as Kensei had visited him the last time, but he usually just relied on unvoiced clues and hints and just waited for the others to pick up on them. Shuuhei had deliberately ignored all the disapproving looks and raised eyebrows, he kept telling himself he knew what he was doing even though he had absolutely no idea what was going on. All he knew was that he liked Kensei and Kensei liked him, no matter how hard he tried to fight it.

Shuuhei could understand why Kensei was fighting against this and hiding his true feelings, his career was on the line and he was very professional man, he didn't want to mix work with pleasure in the first place. _But it's so obvious, it just makes everything so fucking awkward, _Shuuhei groaned inwardly as he leaned his forehead against the cool window. _We need to trust each other with our lives, I can't do that if he can't even tell me if he likes me or not to my face. But then again, I can't endanger his work just because I like him, that's so selfish it hurts. _The young man sighed quietly, tilting his head to one side. _I wish he would've just turned me down completely, it would've made things more awkward but at least it would've been one less thing to worry about. _

Kensei stopped the car in traffic lights, tapping the steering wheel with his fingers as he stared at the glowing red light. He intentionally avoided looking at Shuuhei, the mere sight of his scarred face had made his blood boil with anger and at the same time his stupid brain had also noticed that the young man still looked as handsome as ever. Of course he would've rather had his own face slashed if it would've saved Shuuhei but the way the young man carried himself with dignity and wore the scar like a badge of honor did something to Kensei's brain. It all just reminded him the last time he had seen Shuuhei, when he had visited his flat and things hadn't quite gone as expected. He wasn't sure had they gone better or worse but he was certain that they had made things an awful lot more complicated. He could've dealt with the awkward sexual tension fine for a certain amount of time, he was used to ignoring and repressing his feelings by now but then the idiot had gone and called him out on his bluff. _Too smart for his own good, _Kensei grunted inwardly as the lights turned green and he shot out from the intersection, making Shuuhei knock his head against the car window.

"Sorry" Kensei muttered as he changed gear. Shuuhei merely smiled softly, the gesture still slightly impaired by the marred skin on his cheek.

"I thought a police officer would at least abide the traffic regulations, not drive like a maniac" Ulquiorra groaned from the backseat, a slight irritated edge in his voice.

"He's probably more used to wild car chases than driving patients home from the hospital" Shuuhei noted with a grin.

"I thought you were in a hurry" Kensei grunted back at Ulquiorra, earning a silent stare that almost felt like burning hole in the back of his skull.

"I'd just thought you'd be more careful" the young man replied, "considering." Shuuhei turned around to glare at his roommate, his eyes signing to keep his mouth shut. His eyes darted to Kensei who looked surprisingly calm despite the crude remark alluding to Shuuhei's accident and his inability to rescue him. Shuuhei was almost surprised, he had thought he had grown to know Kensei's quick temper and would've thought the man had stopped the car and punched Ulquiorra's lights out. But instead the man just calmly drove on, his face fixed into that slight frown, not even his hands were squeezing the wheel as a sign of anger. _Huh, guess he is capable of controlling himself after all. Well, if he's managed to control his sexual urges for years, why not his anger too? Shouldn't be that different. _

Kensei pulled off at the driveway in front of Shuuhei's flat but left the engine on. Ulquiorra near jumped out of the car and slammed the door shut behind him, not even looking back as he walked to their apartment's door. Shuuhei wasn't that quick to move, he just opened his seatbelt but stayed put, waiting for Kensei to say something before he left. The man stared at the steering wheel, tapping his fingers against it and it looked as if he was deliberately trying not to look at the young man.

"Don't mind Ulqui, he can be quite bitchy if he's in the mood but he doesn't mean anything with it" Shuuhei said tentatively, trying to get some reaction from the man. The corner of Kensei's mouth twitched and he gave Shuuhei a sideways glance.

"Hadn't even noticed" he replied, earning a wide smirk from Shuuhei.

"You're not gonna come up?" the young man asked as he shifted on his seat, not wanting to go.

"No, I have some work to do back at the force, it's been one hell of a week" Kensei said but Shuuhei frowned, he didn't sound quite convincing to him.

"Oh, I thought things had been quite quiet for the past month or so, or then my sources have been just lazy. What's going on?" he queried, trying to sound only casually interested. Kensei cleared his throat and Shuuhei felt some twisted satisfaction in seeing the man trying to think of something believable as quickly as he could.

"Nothing major, just some robberies and thefts, but the paperwork always takes its time, you know how it is" he finally muttered, sounding less and less credible with every word. Shuuhei turned to face the man better and placed his hand on Kensei's thigh, finally earning a full-on gaze from him.

"Kensei, you said we needed to trust each other, and you're clearly lying. Just spit it out, please." Kensei slowly moved his eyes up Shuuhei's arm to his face, again slightly flinching at the sight of the scar now embellishing his face.

"Fine" he grunted, turning off the engine before saying more. Shuuhei allowed himself a mental pat on the back, his instincts hadn't failed him.

"While you were…incapacitated, I met some, let say, interesting people, who said they could help us out. Apparently some common friend of ours had asked them to after you got injured." Shuuhei's eyebrows shot to his hairline and he instinctively leaned in closer, his expression bidding Kensei to continue.

"So I figured that Kisuke must've asked them to give us a hand, and I said yes." Kensei didn't say what had been his biggest reason agreeing to Yumichika and Ikkaku's proposition, though now as Shuuhei still rested his hand on the man's thigh he knew he had done the right thing. Shuuhei let out a low whistle and then uttered a laugh, squeezing Kensei's thigh lightly.

"So that's what's kept you busy all week" the young man said laughingly, looking at Kensei from under his brow with his eyes twinkling, "I wondered why you looked so wired." Kensei managed another one-sided smile at him and hemmed.

"So you noticed" he uttered as he ran his hand through his short silvery hair, suddenly feeling how the lack of sleep he had been gathering all week started to weigh on him. Shuuhei still stared at him smilingly as he realized how close he was to the man, in this small enclosed space all alone. His hand moved as if on its own on Kensei's thigh, first earning a frown from the man and then a quiet groan before Kensei quickly grabbed Shuuhei's wrist before his hand moved dangerously close to his groin. The young man wasn't that surprised, it had been more of a test than an actual try. Kensei raised his hand up and stared the young man straight in his eyes, now looking dead serious again.

"Sorry" Shuuhei felt compelled to say, he knew playing with Kensei like this was more cruel than anything else, he knew it was childish to expect the man would just swoon into his arms just because he was the first man to probably ever approach him with the knowledge of his sexual preferences. All that bent-up sexual tension couldn't just come out at once, he'd have ease into the situation if he ever wanted to actually have something with Kensei, more than just professional companionship and this strange tension that kept raising its head every now and then.

"I can imagine how you feel" Kensei said slowly, clearly trying to sound calmer than he actually was, "but if we're actually going to do anything, it has to happen on my terms. I'm the one with everything to lose, to you this would be just another feather in your cap." Shuuhei felt insulted, he knew he had spent quite a lavish life and that some of his sexual adventures had been more public than he would've wanted, but he wasn't a man-eater or anything like that. Kensei made it sound like he was doing this just to sign off another name from his list. _Fucked a police officer, check. _A sharp remark almost rolled from his tongue before he managed to calm himself down, Kensei hadn't said 'no' to him, he had just said 'not now'. _Progress, I'd say, _Shuuhei thought as Kensei loosened his grip but still kept holding onto his hand.

"And I still think our mission should be the priority here, not…whatever this is" Kensei continued as Shuuhei stayed quiet. If the young man had known how much more rather Kensei would've just grabbed him hard and forgotten all about his duties and inhibitions. But he had to keep it to himself, it would've just spurred the young man on and Kensei wasn't sure how much more teasing and taunting he could take. Especially now when his brain wasn't functioning normally due his lack of sleep and the adrenaline pumping through his veins, keeping him alert and on the edge.

"Yeah I know, sorry" Shuuhei sighed and leaned bit back, "it's just…Survival instinct, I guess, at least part of it. After what happened I've been so aware of how dangerous this actually is. That one of us could already be dead. Before it was just me putting myself into danger, but now when it's you too and it's getting so big…Sometimes I fear for my friends too, some of these people…They wouldn't think twice about going to my friends in order to get me, I know that. That's why I prefer to work alone. Now I know that you're a tough guy and all and you're here to keep me safe but…" Shuuhei paused and looked at his hand that Kensei was still holding onto, "Sometimes I think we might not have the luxury of time. I've never thought I could count the rest of my days in actual days, not in years or even months. Without you, I would be dead already." Shuuhei raised his eyes back to Kensei, he could swear the man could see straight into his soul at that moment, see all his most inner fears and doubts he wanted to deny so badly.

"Shuuhei, I promised I'd protect you, I failed once but I swear, it won't happen again" Kensei said in a low tone, "I swear it on my life." Shuuhei nearly uttered a laugh at Kensei's seriousness but then realized he actually meant it. He wasn't the type to joke about such things, this man would actually be glad to die for him if need be.

"Kensei, this is not what you signed up for, this is just me being a brash idiot who wants to be the hero" Shuuhei said, "you never wanted this, you were assigned to this mission since you are the only honest cop left in town, that shouldn't mean you should die because of it. You can still quit, please." Kensei frowned at Shuuhei's sudden outburst, he wasn't sure whether he was actually trying to talk him out of the mission or was he testing him again. _Maybe bit of both, _the older man figured as he gave Shuuhei another of his crooked smiles and ruffled his already messy hair.

"Stop being such a kid, I'm a man of my word and no amount of begging will talk me out of this. We're in this together now, like it or not." Shuuhei first looked like he was going to beg him again but seeing the stern look in Kensei's eyes he stayed quiet and instead managed to smile back as crookedly as he did.

"Two heads are better than I suppose" he joked lamely, "I'm glad you're not easily persuaded by sweet words."

"You need to be lot sweeter to persuade me into anything" Kensei jeered back, the tense atmosphere having relaxed again. Shuuhei raised an eyebrow at him and chuckled quietly, it was strange how the man could make jokes like this from time to time and still be such a stick-in-the-mud most of the time.

"I'm not going to even say anything, as promised" the young man replied and leaned his elbow on the window sill, "now, back to business. Tell about these new accomplices of ours." Kensei exhaled heavily first as he thought back on the various meetings he had had with the two mystery men. His doubts had vanished during those meetings and now he actually felt like they had a chance, strange as their methods might be.

"They are these two men, I don't know what you would call them, assassins, hired muscle, something like that. They came to me one day when I was leaving from work, I thought they were some thugs trying to sneak up on me and almost battered the other one with my car door. But in the end we got talking and they offered to help, I said yes and now we've been plotting on their next move, it will give us more time to focus on gathering information instead of getting into gun fights." Shuuhei nodded, it did sound bit too good to be true but maybe after all this bad luck it was time for things to turn around.

"Okay, so now we have our very own hitmen" he smirked, "do these mystery men have names or do they use some cool sounding aliases?"

"I wouldn't know about that, they told me their names but whether their real or not I can't tell" Kensei said, "they're called Yumichika and Ikkaku." Kensei gave Shuuhei as strange look as the young man let out a strangled gasp hearing the names, his eyes nearly bulging out of his head.

"Something wrong kid?" It took Shuuhei several seconds before he could answer.

"If you consider finding out one of your oldest friends is a hitman then yeah, I guess something might be wrong."


	9. Chapter 9

**_Still doing the build-up for things to come, baby steps. And remember, half a kingdom for a review! (Well, in a figurative sense anyway)._**

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><p><strong>Chapter 9.<strong>

"Ikkaku? I think someone's coming." The bald man spoken to stopped assaulting the practice dummy that was tottering in front of him and turned around. His partner was balancing on the two back legs of his chair, his own feet placed on the table in front of him. He was busy filing his nails, assessing his work with critical eyes.

"How do you know?" Ikkaku asked as he grabbed a towel to wipe the sweat off his face, draping the cloth over his bare shoulders. Yumichika merely hemmed and blew on his nails.

"He's not really even trying to hide himself, you can hear it yourself if you bother to listen." Ikkaku frowned but stayed quiet for a minute, trying to hear what Yumichika was talking about. And yes, he could now hear faint footsteps in the hallway, coming up the stairs.

"Just one?" he asked as he walked past Yumichika to the door.

"Just the one yes, a young man I'd say, in his twenties" the man replied as he moved onto his other hand, "could be a salesman or just someone who's lost." Ikkaku scoffed, not really believing in either possibility.

"Yeah right" he muttered as he positioned himself by the door, waiting for it to open. Yumichika didn't look bothered, merely glancing at the door and smiling to himself at the sight of his over-excited companion.

Finally the light footsteps came closer and slowed down, now only making a very quiet creaking sound as the floorboards complained under the newcomer's weight. Ikkaku flexed his arms ready to grab the man the second he touched the door. He frowned as the footsteps stopped good few meters from the door and almost wanted to kick the door open himself, but knew he might scare the person away, and he didn't feel like chasing anyone outside while he was wearing only his pants. He was holding his breath as he waited for the door handle to move but then suddenly there was a knock on the door which almost made him jump. Yumichika chuckled behind him, earning an angry scowl from Ikkaku.

"Let him in" he noted to his partner who was still staring at him instead of focusing on the door. Ikkaku turned and wrenched the door open, revealing a young man in his twenties with messy black hair and a scar running down the side of his face, with his right hand in the air ready to knock on the door again. Seeing who the newcomer was Yumichika finally put his feet down, making the chair fall to the floor with clatter.

"Shuuhei?" Ikkaku gasped as he recognized the young man, the very recent scar had thrown him off for a second.

"Hi Ikkaku" Shuuhei said, looking more serious than usual if possible, "can I come in?"

"Yeah yeah, sure" the bald man said and stepped aside letting the young man in. Yumichika had gotten up from his chair and walked to them, reaching his hand to Shuuhei.

"Hi, I don't think we've met before" he said in a gentle tone, "I'm Yumichika Ayasegawa." Shuuhei took his hand with slight hesitation, his whole demeanor seemed tense and wary. Yumichika was quick to pick up on this and laughed lightly.

"Don't worry, we don't bite" he joked but failed to lighten Shuuhei's spirits as the young man turned to Ikkaku, who was still looking bit dazed.

"So, this is what you do these days?" The bald man frowned as if he didn't understand what Shuuhei's meaning. He looked to Yumichika for some help but the man merely raised an eyebrow at him. _You're on your own on this, mister. _

"What do you mean by 'this' exactly?" Ikkaku tried to play some time. Shuuhei didn't look amused at all.

"You know what I mean, you went to Kensei to offer your 'services' in order to help us. What the hell Ikkaku, so you're a hitman now? Killing people for money, is that what you do?" Shuuhei's tone got more agitated by the word and his voice got louder, earning a frown from Ikkaku who glanced at the door over his shoulder. Yumichika lowered his hand on Shuuhei's shoulder, making him turn his eyes to him.

"Mind keeping it down Shuuhei, we're new here and our neighbours might not appreciate the noise." Shuuhei let out a dry laugh.

"Of course, I apologise, who'd want to live next door to some hired killers?" he said bitterly.

"It's not that simple Shuuhei", Ikkaku put in, earning an incredulous look from the young man.

"Of course, it's never that simple. I'd love to hear the story behind it all, I really would." Ikkaku exchanged a quick look with Yumichika and the man just shrugged his shoulders.

"Fine, if you let me explain, I will. But this is just between us, you can't go on blabbering about it to the others."

"And by others you mean your oldest friends?" Ikkaku grimaced little at Shuuhei's words but nodded.

"Yeah, that's exactly what I mean. Look what it did to you." Shuuhei opened his mouth to say something but snapped it shut, biting his teeth together. Ikkaku let out a tired sigh and rubbed his neck, his skin was still slick from sweat.

"Wanna sit down?" Shuuhei obliged and drew himself a chair, leaning his elbows on the table. Ikkaku sat opposite him straddling his chair backwards, Yumichika had quietly exited into the other room to give them privacy. Shuuhei stared at his old friend with stern eyes as he waited for him the start explaining.

"Right, so Kensei told you about our deal?" the bald man asked, folding his arms on the chair's back.

"Yeah he did. And how you approached him, very subtle." Ikkaku grinned, brushing his shaven head with his hand remembering the incident. He hadn't been that excited working with a cop and his old friend but after meeting Kensei in person his opinion had changed. That man meant business, in a real fight he would've most likely been able to drive Ikkaku to the corner and give him a real challenge, not something many people were capable of.

"Yeah, sorry about that. We haven't worked with the police before, or with anyone else for that matter. It complicates things, we like to keep it simple."

"Oh, so you're sophisticated hitmen? That changes everything" Shuuhei jeered and Ikkaku was beginning to get annoyed by his attitude, "Oh no wait, it doesn't." Ikkaku slammed his fist on the table and was slightly surprised and pleased that Shuuhei didn't even flinch. _Maybe he has changed too, it has been years after all._

"Shuuhei, we're here to help you. Like it or not, you're in some really deep shit here and you need us if you actually want to get through this alive. Now you're gonna listen to me or not?" The two men stared at each other for few seconds in silence until Shuuhei exhaled heavily and his hand rose to his face to scratch his scar but he managed to stop himself.

"Fine, sorry" he said quietly, "I just…The last few weeks have been crazy, I don't like the idea of getting more and more people involved in my own mess. Plus I had no idea that you were doing something like this, I…I know you're here to help but still." Shuuhei rubbed his temples tiredly, he could feel yet another headache on its way. Ikkaku's expression softened seeing his friend's stress and worry written all over his young features. They made him look so much older than he actually was, this job had really taken its toll on him.

"'Tis okay, I get it. I was bit shocked myself when I heard what you were doing here, not the smartest thing to do in this town. And I always thought you were the smartest one of us." Shuuhei smiled one-sidedly at the remark and turned his eyes to Ikkaku who was grinning at him with that worryingly manic twinkle in his eye. _I'm not sure why I'm even this surprised really. He's always been hungry for action and kicking ass, why not make some money for it? _

"So I take it that Kisuke asked you to this?"

"Hired would be the right word for it. And technically it was that blonde guy Shinji, Kisuke can't have his reputation soiled with being associated with the likes of us" Ikkaku explained, Shuuhei listening keenly.

"And so your plan was to somehow tip the scales in the underworld and somehow that way get rid of most of the mobsters?" he asked, remembering what Kensei had told him about the duo's plan. Ikkaku nodded, tapping his fingers against the table.

"Yep, that's the really rough version of it. The less you actually know, the better."

"So we won't be able to testify against you in court?" Ikkaku smirked smugly at the remark.

"I highly doubt it would ever go there but more to preserve your safety as well. We don't anyone to know we're connected in any way, this needs to be kept well under the wraps." Shuuhei flashed him a soft smile, rubbing his face with his knuckles.

"Guess that makes sense" he said, "I've tried to keep other people out of this but seems the deeper I go, the harder that gets."

"You can't go around playing the sheriff forever Shuu, you have whole gangs of mobsters against you. And the police, and the politicians, and well, anyone who matters." Ikkaku tilted his head to one side, eyeing Shuuhei slowly.

"And I see you have already gotten a taste of how deep this shit actually goes." Shuuhei raised his eyebrows, knowing what Ikkaku was talking about.

"Yeah, that got bit out of hand. I think that's why I'm here in the first place."

"So one guy isn't enough to watch your back anymore, and it's time to kick things up a notch." Ikkaku paused to let his grin widen even further.

"Sounds good to me." Shuuhei gave him a slightly amused look.

"I see you're itching to get started already."

"We both are, trust me on that."

"Oh yeah, about that" Shuuhei said and leaned in closer to Ikkaku over the table, "who's that guy you're with, is he a friend or…" Like Yumichika earlier in their talk with Kensei, Shuuhei also let the sentence trail off and allowed Ikkaku to fill in the details. The bald man bit his lower lip as he contemplated on how much he should tell Shuuhei, when he had left years ago it had been bit too early to discuss things such as sexual preferences but he knew he had always given the impression of a basic, straightforward heterosexual man. He wasn't sure if that had been on purpose or if he hadn't just known anything else, things had been different back then. These days one could actually see homosexuals in public and in the media but years ago unless you wanted to know about them, it was rare to just bump into them anywhere. Only after moving into another town and moving in all kinds of other circles had Ikkaku met people from all walks of life and come into terms with his own identity. Mostly that was because of Yumichika, and it had been a long hard road.

Ikkaku had kept an eye on Shuuhei's very public life from the papers and via the grapevine so he knew the young man would understand but still, this wasn't the time for heart wrenching coming out- stories.

"He's…a partner" he finally said, judging that Shuuhei would catch his drift and leave it be. He was right and the young journalist just nodded.

"As long as you trust him, it's fine with me." For a second it looked like Shuuhei was going to add something more personal but kept it to himself after all, the look Ikkaku was giving him signaled that those things could wait.

"Good" the bald man said and then cracked another smile at him, "all things aside, it's good to see you again Shuuhei. Despite the circumstances."

"You plan on telling the others about this?" Shuuhei asked. Ikkaku shook his head.

"Nah, too dangerous to get them involved in any way. Plus I have a feeling they'd just wanna join in the action." Shuuhei thought about it for a second and then nodded. He knew his friends well enough to know that if they found about Ikkaku helping him out, they'd just want a piece of the action themselves. _Especially Grimmjow…And if he joins in, Ichigo has to do the same. And Renji doesn't wanna be left out either. Kaien would probably be the only one not butting in, then again Kuukaku might take up on the chance to kick some ass. _

Shuuhei drew circles on the table with his index finger, he knew if he just asked his friends would rally up and help him out but he knew he couldn't do that. Like he had said to Kensei, placing other people in danger, no matter how able they were, made his stomach turn. Plus it just piled on more weight on his shoulders to make progress and end this whole thing. But he had a feeling he was nowhere near close to a satisfying conclusion.

"So basically we're giving you some more time to concentrate on your own thing while we do ours, sound good?" Ikkaku asked, waking Shuuhei from his thoughts.

"Yeah, yeah, should be alright. Now I just need to find some more sources who'd actually give me some breaking news" the journalist said, running his hands through his hair as he remembered Ryuuken's words. He hadn't managed to fully comprehend the man's meaning but he was quite sure he had a pretty good idea where to start looking for those people Ryuuken had mentioned.

"I'm sure you'll be fine, you were always the smart one" Ikkaku repeated as he leaned back on his chair, "but you should probably get going, we haven't gotten started yet but there might be some people watching us already so best if they don't know you were ever here." Shuuhei frowned and wanted to ask more but Ikkaku's expression told him he wouldn't get any answers, at least not at this point. _Guess I just have to trust him. I've been saying that to myself way too often lately, _he thought as he got up and offered Ikkaku his hand to shake. The bald man grabbed it but then pulled Shuuhei closer into a tight hug, patting his back with his free hand before letting go. Shuuhei looked at him with a mixed expression of amusement and worry, Ikkaku wasn't the most affectionate person he knew.

"Glad to have this sorted out Shuuhei" Ikkaku said to him as he let his hand go, "we'll keep you posted on the situation. Unless you find out for yourself." Shuuhei raised an eyebrow at this, he was now more anxious and curious than worried of what these two were actually going to do and how.

"Can't wait" he smirked, earning a similar expression from Ikkaku in return. Suddenly Shuuhei noticed himself thinking if any of his close friends were actually sane or were they all just as batshit crazy in their own way. _Maybe it's better like that actually…No sane person would be doing something like this anyway._

* * *

><p>Kensei was busy filing another case file in the backrooms of the police station as he heard the door being opened and then quick footsteps coming his way. He finished writing the case number on the box and pushed it between two identical boxes on the shelf just as the footsteps turned to his aisle. Kensei turned to look and recognized the newest rookie officer Hanatarou, a young timid man who looked constantly as if he was going to bolt. He rushed to Kensei, seemingly out of breath so as Kensei raised his eyebrow at him he had to stop to breathe before he could talk.<p>

"Sergeant Muguruma, you… you have a visitor" he finally managed to gasp, making the sergeant frown.

"Who is it?" he asked but Hanatarou shook his head.

"She…she said just to get you" he said, finally having calmed down completely.

"She? So it's a woman?" Hanatarou nodded but then erred and scratched the back of his head.

"Well, yeah, kinda" he mumbled, making Kensei's scowl deepen.

"Well, is she or isn't she?"

"I guess you could call her a young woman" Hanatarou guessed. Kensei shook his head and pushed past the young man towards the office.

"She's waiting in the interrogation room!" Hanatarou hollered after him. Kensei scoffed mentally as he made his way through the corridors. _Figures, we never need that room anyway since no one is getting caught. _

Kensei arrived to the interrogation room and before stepping inside he caught a quick glimpse of himself from the shiny surface of the steel door. The signs of fatigue were starting to really show on his face, his chin was stubbly and the bags under his eyes were getting heavier by the day. Just one night's good rest would do miracles for him but he couldn't afford it, not at this point. With a roll of his shoulders he opened the door and walked in, closing the door behind him before even looking at his visitor. As he turned around he heard the scraping of chair legs against the floor and suddenly he was faced with an angry looking young woman who was glaring up at him from under her black fringe.

"You Kensei Muguruma?" The man instinctively backed off to create distance between them only to have his back against the door.

"Yes, and you are?" he asked the girl. She was quite short and petite but didn't look that young so Kensei wasn't sure if she was in her teens or already way past her twenties. But she clearly had some precautions of telling him her name since her jaw locked for few seconds before she stepped back, clearly weighing out whether to think up a fake alias or just go with it. Kensei folded his arms on his chest, he had played this game before.

"If you lie, I know it." The girl scoffed but did look bit wary, her big eyes scanning Kensei from head to toe as he could almost hear her brain cracking. For someone who had just walked into the police station she hadn't come well- prepared. Or maybe her nerves were giving out when faced with a real police officer.

"Just tell me why you're here to see me, okay? Let's deal with the names later" Kensei suggested, not wanting the girl to run away just because her initial plan had foiled. The girl nodded and backed off some more as Kensei stepped forward and sat down on the other chair at the table. The girl didn't sit down, she just fidgeted in her place and her eyes moved between Kensei and the door.

"Have a seat" Kensei said, this time using his 'official' voice that worked even on the most adamant crooks. The girl finally sat down, her hands grabbing her chair nervously to stop her from moving nervously. Kensei now had a good look at her, she was wearing the usual youth uniform consisting of an oversized hoodie and cargopants, but for some reason she had ducktape wrapped around her arms and legs. Kensei had seen the look before but hadn't still figured out whether it was for practical reasons or just another weird trend. Things like this made him feel old.

"So, you wanted to see me in person, here I am. What do you want?" The girl's frantic eyes moved back to Kensei and she glared at him defiantly as if he had thrown her a personal challenge by asking her to talk. She glanced at the door again, her brow crunching as if she was trying to see through it.

"You can talk in peace, this is all just between you and me" Kensei said, guessing the girl was afraid of eavesdroppers.

"You sure about that?" she asked, not looking convinced. Kensei held back a strained groan and flexed his neck, his whole back was tense.

"If you don't wanna talk here, I can meet you somewhere you think is safe. That sound better to you?" The girl seemed torn, the idea of getting out of the police station was seemingly alluring to her but having to meet him again in some other place didn't sound like such a good idea either. Finally she just scoffed and leaned closer to Kensei over the table, her face only inches away from his.

"If you swear I can trust you" she started, pausing to give Kensei a chance to nod, "then I have some information you might need." Kensei raised an eyebrow at her and chuckled darkly.

"Why did you even come to me if you don't think I am to be trusted?" he asked, earning another serious glare from the girl.

"I was told you could help out, but I'm not so sure myself. But it's not like I have any other choice."

"And why's that?" The girl glared at him again, her eyes just narrow slits. Kensei wasn't sure whether to be amused or just annoyed, the girl obviously had something she wanted to tell him, maybe something important but the way she was circling around it was just a waste of time. Though he could understand, she was apparently aware of the state of the police force in the city and knew most of them couldn't be trusted. He was just curious on who had told her to come see him in person, that would hint to someone well in the know of things. _Maybe she could one of those people who happen to hear things they're not supposed to hear, _Kensei thought and glanced back at the door himself. If the girl actually had some information it would be a huge mistake to let her go.

"Were you followed?" he asked the girl who first looked surprised by the question but then quickly shook her head.

"No, I was really careful. I'm used to moving around without being noticed." Kensei didn't bother asking how she did that but continued.

"Right, so you probably know this isn't the best place to talk. You know that pub in the corner of East Side and Oak Street?" The girl nodded hesitantly, her face mix of curiosity and dread.

"Meet me there tonight around ten, should be safer to talk there. You okay with that?" The girl nodded again but this time with more conviction.

"Good, I'll see you out." The girl didn't object, she just walked to the door as Kensei got up and walked behind her the whole journey to the front doors of the police force. They got some long looks from Kensei's colleagues which he ignored and made sure they moved fast enough so they didn't have time to have a good look at the girl. Once outside the girl pulled on her hood and jumped down the stone stairs, but turned around to give Kensei a quick salute before dashing into the street.

Kensei waited for a minute to see if anyone went after her and then went back inside. He wanted to call Shuuhei but knew it would have to wait, he still had some filing to do. As he walked back to the back rooms he found it slightly amusing how little this double life had affected his everyday routines. Apart from the lack of sleep and occasional action, deadly or otherwise, at the end of the day he still had to do all his paperwork on time. _Guess it's good to keep grounded, _he thought as he entered the dimly lit room where dust floated softly in the air, _but I'd still rather take a bullet than do another case report._


	10. Chapter 10

**_Well would you look at that, a new chapter. My oh my. Hope you like it, sorry for all the typos and such, I can only re-read these through so many times before I just stop seeing my mistakes. I think it all still makes sense anyway. If not well, I'll be damned._**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 10.<strong>

Shuuhei had just come back to his apartment and thrown his bag to the corner of his room, throwing himself on the bed when he heard his phone go off. He patted his pockets, not finding the ringing mobile and then realized it was in the bag. With a groan he rolled out of bed and crawled to the corner where the bag had landed, quickly scrambling through all the chaos before finally getting his fingers around the vibrating phone. He quickly glanced at the screen and felt his stomach do a little flip as he saw Kensei's nickname flashing on it.

"Yo" he answered and immediately wanted to slap himself as he could almost hear Kensei's frown through the lines.

"I think the appropriate word is 'hello'", the man noted to him but he sounded more amused than annoyed for once. Shuuhei smirked to himself and leaned his back against the wall, stretching his legs on the floor.

"Sorry, I forgot you're not on board with the youth slang" he chuckled back, his free hand fiddling with his slightly overgrown hair. Kensei scoffed and Shuuhei could imagine the man tilting his head back and folding his arms on his chest. If they had been face to face the sergeant would've probably also given him that humourless glare just to strengthen his silent message, maybe even arched an eyebrow that was marred by that small scar. Shuuhei's smirk softened into a smile as he realized what he was thinking and tried to focus on the matter at hand.

"Okay, so what's up?" he asked, still sitting on the floor. Kensei was silent for few seconds before answering, Shuuhei guessed he was making sure no one was listening to him.

"I might've found a new informant, one of those people that doctor of yours talked about." Shuuhei jolted, almost springing up to his feet.

"You sure?" he whispered, only then realizing that there was absolutely no need for it, even Ulquiorra wasn't at home. Kensei didn't seem to notice it and replied with an equally hushed tone.

"I'm meeting her tonight at the bar in the corner of East Side and Oak Street, you know the place? I think you should be there too."

"Yeah yeah I know it" Shuuhei said and quickly fiddled through his bag for some paper and a pen to write down the address just to be sure, "that old Irish pub, isn't it?"

"That's the one" Kensei confirmed, "I told her to meet me there around ten, maybe it would be best if you come little later once I've made sure it's okay. She might make a run for it if she sees that I'm not alone."

"Yeah yeah sure thing" Shuuhei said, scribbling notes down on the backside a crumbled receipt, "mind telling me who this mysterious woman is?"

"Would if I could, she didn't tell me her name." Shuuhei stopped writing and passed the phone to his other hand.

"So you're telling me that you're meeting this strange woman who might have some information about our case but you have no idea who she is or what info she's got?" the young man recapped, slouching back against the wall. He wanted to tease Kensei who had complained about him going after clues without knowing anything about them and was now doing the exact same thing. He heard Kensei start saying something but then the man realized what he was doing and there was a heavy silence which Shuuhei filled with an imaginative stern look from Kensei.

"I thought this was the way we did things, I wasn't aware you had suddenly changed your methods" the man remarked sharply, making Shuuhei crack another wide smile at the phone.

"I just think it's funny since you've berated me about running after clues like this and now you're calling me all excited about meeting this mystery woman you know nothing about" Shuuhei replied, his shoulders jumping from quiet laughter. Kensei huffed but Shuuhei was almost certain there was again that crooked smile on his lips. Suddenly Shuuhei wanted to have this conversation face to face with Kensei just so he wouldn't have to imagine all those little expressions he had grown to know so well. _That and the fact that he hasn't come to see me in days, _Shuuhei thought, his fingers tapping at the scar on his face. To his mind it was healed well enough for him to go back to work for real but Kensei was adamant on his three week rest. The man couldn't visit him too often in order not to raise suspicions so Shuuhei hadn't been able to see him as often as he would've liked. The idea of both getting to see Kensei and making progress in their investigation made Shuuhei's stomach do flips again and his face split into a wide smile.

"Alright then, I trust you on this one, big man" Shuuhei said, struggling slightly to get on his feet, "so I'll see you in the pub bit before eleven, that okay?"

"Yeah, sounds good. If things get hairy I'll try to get in touch with you as soon as I can." Shuuhei froze hearing Kensei's words, of course he knew these things could go horribly wrong, as with his previous attempt. Kensei was a grown man, and a skillful police officer, he could look after himself even if the things went to hell. Shuuhei flexed his fingers holding the phone.

"Hey, you still there kid?" Kensei asked as Shuuhei stayed quiet.

"Yeah, yeah, just thinking…Eh, how did you find this new ladyfriend of yours?" the young man asked, trying to distract himself from thoughts of Kensei getting hurt.

"She actually came to me, this skinny young girl came to the station and asked to see me in person" Kensei explained, making Shuuhei raise an eyebrow and the young man felt even more anxious about this. It sounded too good to be true and a bit too convenient, just as they had been told to look for these people who knew things by being in the right place at the right time this girl just drops into their lap.

"Did she tell you anything that we could be sure this isn't some trap?" Shuuhei asked, pacing around his room.

"No, she was probably too nervous to be in the station, she clearly knew most of the force cannot be trusted", Kensei replied, a slight bitter edge on his voice. _Okay, that makes sense, everyone knows the police is pretty much corrupted, _Shuuhei admitted but wasn't fully convinced._ But how did she know to come to Kensei?_

"But she still knew to look for you personally" the young man said, sounding incredulous, "doesn't that sound bit off to you?" He heard Kensei sigh and imagined him ruffling his own short hair, the few times Shuuhei had seen him lately he had looked tired as hell, this double life of was starting to catch up with him.

"Maybe if she knows something useful, she might've heard about our investigations, after the last incident I wouldn't doubt if the word has spread in the underworld that you now have some help and it might not be that difficult to trace us if you know who to ask." Shuuhei nodded to himself but then again, if this mystery woman knew that Kensei was working with him, who else knew about it? Their cover could be blown at any given time if Barragan's thugs had somehow recognized Kensei.

"Doesn't that worry you at all then, that some random girl from the streets knows who you are and what you're doing?" Shuuhei asked, tapping his forehead with his knuckles.

"Maybe she isn't just some random girl and that's why she knows something that could help us. I can't just let this opportunity go past us, it's worth the risk." Shuuhei was about to protest but held back, knowing that probably nothing he said would change Kensei's mind. _He's so sure we can actually do this, I can't lose my own faith now, _Shuuhei sighed inwardly and lopped on his bed.

"Fine, just don't get killed before I get there, okay?" He heard Kensei scoff again and smiled back at the phone, since when had their roles been reversed that it was now him worrying about Kensei running into the danger and cursing the man's stupidity. _The difference is, if things do get hairy would I be able to save him? _Shuuhei thought as he pressed his head against the wall.

"Okay, I'll wait until you get there and then start to wreck the place, sound good?" Kensei asked, small smile in his voice. Shuuhei uttered a dry laugh in response.

"Sounds like a plan. I'll see you tonight then."

"'K, take care kid." Before Shuuhei had time to berate the man of the use of that stupid nickname Kensei had hung up the phone, leaving the young man stare at the blank screen of his mobile. With a groan he placed it on his desk, then rolled onto his stomach on the bed, staring blankly at the wall.

After a while he heard the front door being opened and Ulquiorra come in, the young man closed the door and slid off his shoes and then patted softly towards his own room. He stopped at his door and seeing Shuuhei lie on the bed he rolled his eyes and dragged his feet to Shuuhei's doorway.

"Your boyfriend called?" he asked, making Shuuhei turn his head towards him.

"He's not my boyfriend" he mumbled with half of his face against the mattress.

"Keep telling yourself that" Ulquiorra sighed and lowered his bag to the floor, "what has he done this time?" Shuuhei folded his arms under his chin.

"He hasn't done anything and since when have you even cared?" Ulquiorra stared at the young journalist with the same unreadable expression painted on his face.

"Since you've been staring into a wall like some heartbroken teenager" he replied, "and since I'm your friend I guess I'm obligated to show some concern." Shuuhei snorted and shook his head lightly, so like Ulquiorra to take such a clinical approach on things like this.

"Did the guys put you up to this?" Ulquiorra walked over to Shuuhei's desk and eyed the scattered papers.

"They might've given me the incentive to ask how you're doing, yes" he admitted, tilting his head to one side as he scanned one hastily written note. Shuuhei groaned and pushed himself up on the bed, stretching his back.

"Well you can tell them that I'm doing fine, no need to worry. And you don't have to act as their messenger, they can ask me themselves if they wanna know something" he said, smiling at Ulquiorra who was still reading through his papers, "I'm sure you better things to do with your valuable time." The remark was meant to be sarcastic but Ulquiorra ignored it and took it seriously, as he always did.

"You're right, I do have more important things to with my time" he said, finally tearing his eyes back to Shuuhei, "but like I said, as your friend…"

"You know I'm slightly flattered that you're finally describing yourself as my friend" Shuuhei interrupted, his smile widening, "don't think I've heard that one from you before." Ulquiorra didn't seem to acknowledge the grandeur of his gesture.

"Don't take it too personally" he said as he turned to walk out of the room, making Shuuhei frown.

"Kinda contradictory but alright" the young journalist shrugged, "was there anything else you wanted to know?" Ulquiorra picked up his bag from the floor and swung it on his shoulder, staring into space for a second before answering.

"No, I think that was it." Shuuhei chortled, trying to hide his laughter by pressing his hand against his mouth. Ulquiorra didn't seem to notice or then he just didn't care as usual.

"You're going somewhere tonight?" he asked as he walked to his own door.

"Yeah, gotta meet a new informant. Might be late."

"Thought so" Ulquiorra said as he opened his door and stopped for a second, "good luck." Shuuhei was little surprised by this, Ulquiorra rarely was curious about his work unless it somehow affected his own life and had never before asked anything, not even when he had come back home with his face cut.

"Thanks Ulquiorra" he replied with a warm smile, "that means a lot." Ulquiorra made a strange noise somewhere between a sigh and a scoff.

"Like I said, don't take it too personally." With that he shut the door behind him, leaving Shuuhei standing alone in his room. _He's in a weird mood, _Shuuhei thought as he stretched his arms above his head, popping his shoulders and neck audibly. He glanced at his watch, it was only seven so he had plenty of time before meeting with Kensei. Part of him would've wanted to go into the pub early and see this mysterious informant for himself, partly out of curiosity and partly to make sure Kensei would be safe to meet her alone. _He'd whoop my ass if he saw me there before I'm supposed to arrive, he's had enough of my stupidity. _Shuuhei uttered a small laugh and rubbed his neck as he thought of the expression of Kensei's face every time he was royally pissed off. It didn't differ much from his usual expression but it was just so funny how he was clearly barely able to hold himself back from punching something.

_I wonder if I'll get through this without getting my ass kicked at least once, _Shuuhei thought and leaned to pick up the receipt where he had scribbled the address and the time of the meeting. He'd been to that pub few times before, it was on relatively neutral grounds, Kensei had picked a good place. Shuuhei tapped his foot against the floor as he tried to think who the woman could be, Kensei had said she had been just some girl from the streets.

_Maybe she's a former gang member, that would explain why she would know something. Or maybe she's somehow closely connected to the mobs, a family member? _It wasn't unusual for mobs to include whole families in them, in the style of Italian mafia families. Usually it was because it was very hard to trust anyone else outside one's own family and most leaders wanted the power to stay in their family if it was possible. And being a gang leader was usually something that came pretty hard to hide after a while so it was easier to include the whole family in the business rather than try to keep them out of it. If they knew about the business, it was easier to keep them safe. On one hand Shuuhei could understand the reasoning behind this but then again involving your own children in such a brutal business and exposing them to possible threats was something he couldn't get his head around. He already felt bad for having Kensei with him on this, never mind if his own children or partner were involved.

_Well, Kensei's not that far from being like a partner, _Shuuhei thought and grimaced to himself for thinking like this again. _He's told me to wait like a hundred times, have some respect for the man. If you ruin his whole life just because you can't keep it in your pants you might as well throw yourself to the mobsters. He just wants to help out, he's saved your ass and will probably continue to do so before this is all over so just play it cool for now, alright? _

Shuuhei exhaled after finishing his inner rant and tried to clear his head from all the carnal thoughts Kensei brought up in him. _Again, why not assign me with someone old and fat, with a big bushy beard or something? Why does the only honest cop in town has to be this hunk straight from Sports Illustrated? Seriously, not fair. _Shuuhei run his hands through his hair, focusing his thoughts on more pressing issues. He had been running around all the day, meeting up with his old informants and trying to figure out who were those people Ryuuken had told him about. He had also made some investigations on the hospital staff itself, especially on doctor Ryuuken Ishida and that creepy surgeon Kurotsuchi. It was obvious they knew something, maybe the hospital treated some of the criminals if they got into some trouble and had a contract that they wouldn't inform the officials, though little difference would that make anyway.

Kurotsuchi was bit off a mystery to him still but he had managed to find some information about Ryuuken, the man had a slightly shady past but nothing too strange. A divorce almost fifteen years ago, one son who was in medical school apparently, but most surprisingly Ryuuken actually owned most of the hospital. _I didn't know the chief of medicine actually treated patients on regular basis, _Shuuhei mused, _but then again, maybe since he knew who I was and what I was doing he made an exception just to drop me the hint. Could be. _

Shuuhei smiled faintly as he took off his shirt and threw it on his bed, proceeding to take off his jeans too. _Maybe I have more allies in this city than I knew. _Shuuhei opened his dresser to pick out a clean towel which he flung over his shoulder and walked to the bathroom to take a shower. He threw a look at Ulquiorra's closed door and spared his roommate a warm thought. No one else seemed to understand why he even put up with Ulquiorra's less than friendly behavior but he was loyal and strong, and understood why Shuuhei did what he did, though he might have not agreed with it. He didn't judge him, he just didn't care that much for other people's issues as long as he didn't have anything to do with them. So as long as Shuuhei could keep from bringing his work home Ulquiorra was happy, or at least content.

Plus Shuuhei could trust that Ulquiorra would never sell him out if the mobsters would come after him and start harassing his friends. Grimmjow always made fun of Ulquiorra because of his scrawny appearance and lack of visible emotions but Shuuhei knew better. Ulquiorra could take the blunette on at any given time, and would most likely even win. Ulquiorra might not seem like the most open-minded person but at least he kept his possible prejudices to himself. That was more than enough for Shuuhei when everyone else kept calling him crazy. _At least two people still have some faith left in me, _he thought as he walked into the shower and turned on the hot water.

* * *

><p>"Shinji?" The blonde man grunted in response, keeping his eyes on the printer that had been acting up all the day. He was sure the thing would immediately crash if he took his eyes off it even for a second. Suddenly he felt arms wrapping around his waist and a chin being placed on his shoulder. He smelled Kisuke's aftershave and smiled faintly as the printer kept beeping.<p>

"Looks like it's working fine now" Kisuke noted to him, nuzzling his nose to the crook of Shinji's neck. Shinji hummed and kept his eyes focused on the printer's screen, he didn't trust the damned thing. Kisuke sighed softly and reached to pick up the copied documents from the tray, eyeing them through quickly.

"This isn't due until next week" he said to Shinji, who merely shrugged and finally took out the original document from the printer.

"I figured best to do them when this piece of shit is still working" he replied, taking the copies from Kisuke. The man smiled at him and pecked a kiss on his cheek.

"You have such a forward way of thinking" Kisuke said, stroking Shinji's cheek with the back of his hand, "that's why I love you so much." Shinji stiffened and glanced at Kisuke from the corner of his eye, the man's eyes were partly hidden behind his tousled hair and he was wearing that lazy serene smile he did so well.

"You're in a weird mood today" he told Kisuke, who giggled like a teenage girl and hugged him tightly.

"I'm just excited" he chuckled lightly, "it's been a fun day." Shinji raised an eyebrow and turned to get a better look at Kisuke.

"Oh yeah, why's that?" Kisuke continued his laughing and pinned Shinji against the copy machine, his hands slipping inside Shinji's shirt.

"Hey, I asked you a question" the blonde man said but was cut off as Kisuke planted a kiss on his lips. Shinji wasn't sure if the man was actually really excited or just trying to distract him. Either way he didn't really mind. But he was still curious on what had caused him to be this giddy so he gently pushed Kisuke back and placed his hands on the man's shoulders, staring him straight in the eye.

"I'm not doing anything before you tell me what is it with you today." Kisuke pouted his lips at him but then quickly gave in, glancing around them to see they were alone. His hands settled on Shinji's hips, swiveling them slightly back and forth.

"Remember when I told you to call some help for our brave investigators?" he asked, a sly smile creeping to his face. Shinji nodded, he had used some of his old contacts to get in touch with some appropriate individuals for the task. He hadn't heard about Shuuhei or Kensei so he didn't know if they had already been in contact with the hired muscle or not, Shuuhei was supposedly still on sick leave.

"Well, I just heard back from them and apparently they had met with Kensei, who had agreed to let them help out, which is good news" Kisuke continued, "but then, there's a twist to this story." Shinji raised his eyebrows even further as Kisuke paused for dramatic effect. Sometimes the man's theatrical antics grew weary.

"And that twist is?" Shinji finally uttered as Kisuke just kept staring at him from under his mob of messy hair.

"Well, as it happens, apparently our little Shuuhei and the other member of our hit squad are old friends" Kisuke near whispered at him like a conspirator. Shinji's eyebrows dropped down into a deep frown.

"Really? How did you find that out? And what's so funny about it?" Kisuke rolled his eyes at him, that smug smile back on his face. Shinji sighed inwardly, Kisuke was near impossible when he was a mood like this, high on his own intelligence and wit.

"Take a guess" Kisuke told Shinji who gave the man a tired look but he insisted.

"Fine, you asked some of those weird beggars to go around and spy on them for you" Shinji took a wild guess, but he knew he was wrong the second he uttered the words since Kisuke's smug grin only widened.

"You're way over-thinking this, but I like it" the man chuckled at him, "guess again." Shinji grimaced at him, not really feeling up to play these games.

"Just tell me so I can be in awe of you" he said, shifting his weight from foot to another. He had had a long day already and just wanted to go home and slip in between the sheets. Preferably with the very man tormenting him at the moment. Kisuke pouted at him again but then gave in.

"Shuuhei called me and asked if I knew about it and done the whole thing intentionally" the man explained, "he sounded bit pissed off but I managed to calm him down." Shinji gave him an incredulous glare.

"That's your big climax? Wow, what a disappointment." Kisuke uttered a light laugh and leaned in closer.

"I thought you'd be in awe of me no matter what I said."

"Well I didn't think it would've been that simple, everything else has been so fucking weird and secretive thus far. Plus you didn't tell me the fun part of it all."

"Well I think it's exciting, to have this kind of coincidence happening in the middle of all this other humbug already, two old friends united in these dire circumstances" Kisuke smirked, "isn't that just a bit cool? Admit it." Shinji exhaled heavily, shaking his head in disbelief.

"You're just begging for some compliments here, aren't you?"

"You promised, I just want you to hold your end of the deal."

"You take everything I say too literally."

"You know I do and still you say all these things to me." Shinji groaned, it was impossible to even try to win an argument against Kisuke.

"Fine, you're amazing, you're brilliant. Good enough?" Kisuke laughed again and tilted his head to one side, there was a familiar look in his eyes.

"Bit on the lighter side but I'll take it" he replied, "I'll think of something for you to make up for it later."

"You're in constant need of recognition, that's bit narcissistic don't you think?" Shinji asked as he wriggled out of Kisuke's grasp and started to walk towards the office space. Kisuke followed few steps behind, stretching his arms above his head.

"Maybe I just like it when you tell me how incredible I am, you do it so well."

"Shut up already" Shinji scoffed as he walked to his desk and placed the copies on an already half-filled tray. Kisuke was quick to sit in his chair, swiveling around in it like a small child. Shinji glanced at his watch and stifled a yawn, it was already almost ten o'clock.

"Shouldn't you head home, you got an early rise tomorrow" he said to Kisuke who was still twirling in the chair. He lowered his feet on the floor to stop the chair from moving and gave Shinji one of those looks of his from under his hair.

"Can't you take me? The streets can be dangerous this time of night." Shinji snorted, Kisuke playing the damsel in distress was at the same time adorable yet slightly disturbing.

"Since when have you been afraid of walking home alone? And I doubt there's anyone out there stupid enough to try and mug you, of all people" Shinji said as he reached to pick up his jacket from the chair's back, "I've managed to build you some kind of a reputation on the streets so you'd be left alone." Kisuke raised a curious eyebrow at him and leaned forward.

"Really? Tell me more, am I a raging psychopath or an assassin in disguise, trained in the ancient ways of the monks living on top of Mount Kilimanjaro?" Shinji frowned as he processed the idea Kisuke had just blurted out.

"Ninjas in Africa? That's an interesting thought" he said as he shrugged on his jacket, "but no, just that if anyone touches you, they're as good as dead. And my word has been proven to be trustworthy." Kisuke looked impressed. He pushed himself up from the chair and draped his arm around Shinji's waist.

"That's something I'd really like to hear more about" he murmured into Shinji's ear, "preferably somewhere private." Shinji choked back a groan as Kisuke's words sunk into his brain. Finally he gave up and fished out the car keys from his pocket.

"Fine, I'll take you home." Kisuke's face split into a wide smile and he smacked a quick kiss on Shinji's cheek before leaping away to his own office.

"I'll just get my coat!" Shinji shook his head as he fiddled with the keys in his hand. _That slick bastard, _he smiled to himself as he heard Kisuke humming to himself as he rummaged through his office before returning with his coat on. The man offered his arm to Shinji, his eyes twinkling and that damn smile beaming at him.

"Shall we?"


	11. Chapter 11

_**Everyone's smoking like this is Sin City or something. Don't do it kids!**_

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><p><strong>Chapter 11. <strong>

Kensei was smoking outside the pub where he was supposed to meet his new contact. _Or mystery woman, as Shuuhei put it, _the man thought as he puffed out a cloud of smoke, his free hand flexing as he noticed it was shaking. He scoffed lightly at his own nervousness, how suddenly a little girl could drive him so on edge when during the past month he had faced far more dangerous and deadlier opponents? _Maybe my instincts are trying to warn me, _he thought as he stumped out his half- smoked cigarette, it wasn't doing his nerves any good at this point. Kensei shoved his hands into his pockets and swayed gently on his heels. The nights were getting colder by the day, the sun was starting to set earlier and earlier. Soon he wouldn't see the sun at all if he kept cooped up in his office all the time during the day and haunted the streets by night.

Kensei tilted his head to the side and heard his neck crack, grimacing at the gross sound of it. Another badly slept night behind him, he hadn't told Shuuhei that he had gone and done some research on his own while the young man was still in bed rest. He had managed to twist that creepy doctor Kurotstuchi's arm enough to find out who all got treated in that hospital. He had also managed to make the doctor promise that he would inform Kensei if one of the high-up mobsters would be committed into the hospital.

It wasn't strictly legal, considering the doctor- patience confidentiality but Kensei highly doubted Kurotsuchi's moral fiber to be very great anyway. Kensei let out a humourless laughter, _that man really doesn't like me. _Kurotsuchi was one of the few people he knew who didn't even bother trying to hide their disdain for other people, Kensei was almost sure he actually made an effort to flaunt it instead. But even he was somewhat scared of jail and Kensei did have the authority to imprison people if he suspected them of aiding in criminal activity. Even now Kensei could picture the very enjoyable expression on Kurotsuchi's face as he had had his little talk with him.

"_This is police brutality" _he had snarled at Kensei, but it took much more than that to make him budge.

"_But I'm not even touching you" _Kensei had replied, trying to press the smile that had been tugging his lips, _"yet." _Kurotsuchi had visibly flinched and eyed Kensei's hands that had rested on his belt. He could've almost heard how the man's brain had rattled to find a way out of the situation. In the end he had given up, but not before he had made sure that Kensei knew how much the man hated him. _Sticks and stones, my friend, _Kensei thought as he finally walked into the pub, it was only quarter to ten but he liked to be early. He walked to the counter and ordered a whiskey, he figured he needed something sharper to calm his nerves.

As he got his drink he wondered what Shuuhei would've thought about it, probably the young man would've given him a long, amused look and made a quip about the stereotypical police officer who turned to alcohol when his job got too rough. Kensei quickly downed the whiskey as he realized he was thinking about the young journalist bit too often nowadays. He screwed his eyes shut as the alcohol burned his throat and made his fingers tingle as it settled to his stomach.

_Stupid kid, _he groaned mentally as he tried to clear his head. He had halfway intentionally avoided seeing Shuuhei too much lately, mainly for self-preservation. He hoped the young man would understand, he thought he had made his stance on the matter quite clear already. It was just that lately he had doubted if it was finally the time to start living the live he wanted, not the one he had to.

"Tsk" Kensei scoffed at himself and wondered if he should order another whiskey to silence these increasingly stupid and dangerous thoughts. _Better keep sharp, _he decided and walked to the side, positioning himself in a corner table that was private enough to have a conversation in peace. He unzipped his heavy leather jacket, it was old and worn-out from years of active use and molded perfectly to fit him. The soft scent of leather still lingered on the material despite it having been gone through all kinds of rough and tumble. Kensei's face fixed into a stern frown that would keep away any possible regulars who wanted to have a chat, his mouth a tight line as he waited patiently.

Kensei would never admit it to anyone but he almost jumped into the air when the girl suddenly just seemed to appear out of nowhere, sliding into the seat opposite him. She was wearing similar baggy clothing as before, duct tape strapping the hoodie and trousers to her skinny arms and legs. She pushed back her hood and revealed her messy cropped hair and those alert eyes that made her look much older than she probably was.

"Glad you could make it" Kensei noted as the girl fidgeted on her seat, glancing at the door over her shoulder.

"You sure this is safe?" she asked, her fingers squeezing the edge of her chair.

"It is now that I'm here." The girl narrowed her eyes at him as if waiting for him to laugh but Kensei's face stayed serious.

"You think quite highly of yourself" she remarked sharply, she didn't seem to believe him.

"I know myself, and I know this place. You're safe." The girl glared at him for little longer until she finally relaxed a little and shifted on her seat for a better position.

"So, are you finally going to tell me your name?" Kensei asked.

"Why's that so important to you?"

"I can't trust any other information you give me unless you at least tell me your real name. Besides, you already know mine so you have the upper hand, and I don't like that." The girl's mouth twisted as she again seemed like she was about the bolt but then gave in under Kensei's stern glare.

"It's Sui- Feng. But if I hear you've mentioned it to anyone, you'll never see me again."

"Deal." Kensei and Sui-Feng sat in silence for a while as Kensei waited for her to start talking. Finally he had to break the silence.

"So, what did you want to tell me?" Sui- Feng frowned slightly as she weighed her words carefully before speaking. She was treading on thin ice already and it could break under her any second if she wasn't careful.

"I heard you might need some information on the gangs and mafia."

"And I take it you have something that might help me?" Sui-Feng's lips twitched into a flash of a smile.

"Yes." Kensei had to admit that though the girl's terse style was bit annoying, he liked it. There was something more under that messy hair, tattered clothes and street smarts.

"You also mentioned you needed help yourself. Have you gotten yourself into some kind of trouble with the mobsters?" Kensei asked and there was change in the girl's eyes, her strong glare cracked for a second to reveal a deep desperation. _She wouldn't have come to me unless she was out of options already. _

"Yeah, there's…They have my brother, and I need him back." Kensei said nothing, waiting for Sui-Feng to continue. She ran her hand through her hair, looking at the table's shiny surface.

"He used to deal drugs for the mobsters but he went bit over his head and got caught…They're holding him for ransom so that I would help them out."

"Help how?" The tough look was back on Sui-Feng's face, she looked Kensei straight in the eyes as she spoke.

"I told I can move around without being noticed. I've grown up here, so I know my way around. The mobsters want me to run errands and make sure they're not getting double-crossed."

"So you're a spy? No trust among thieves I see." Sui-Feng didn't comment on Kensei's dry quip, her arms wrapping around herself.

"Something like that. They know I'll do my work well because they have my brother. This is the only way I get to see him and he stays alive. But lately…They've been getting more desperate, and are telling me to get more involved in things, bad things. And I don't want to do that, so I heard that someone was trying to end this all and I thought you might use some information."

"Who told you about me? And how many people know about this?"

"Don't worry, it was none of the mobsters. You and your friend are still out of their radar, but I don't know for how long." Kensei's fists tightened and he leaned over the table.

"Who told you?" Sui- Feng didn't flinch under his stare, which was to be expected from a street kid like her.

"You know the hospital on the east side?" Kensei nodded, it was the hospital he had taken Shuuhei. He could guess where this was going.

"Was it Ishida or Kurotsuchi?" Sui- Feng raised her eyebrows in slight surprise.

"Ishida, the owner of the hospital. You know him?"

"I know of him, yes. He treated my friend while he was there." Kensei tilted his head to the side.

"I think he might've mentioned you at some point."

"Could be." Kensei smiled dryly at Sui- Feng, he was starting to like her more and more for some reason.

"Alright, so you're willing to give us some information we can use the catch the mobsters so you get your brother back? You know he could be sued for dealing drugs."

"At least in jail he's safe from the mobsters."

"Not necessarily. If the criminals get convicted, he might have a hard time inside." Sui- Feng didn't look happy.

"But if your information helps us get to the big guys, I can pull some strings for you. Then we can be considered even."

"Swear on it?"

"If your information holds, you have my word." Sui-Feng inhaled deeply, her slim body heaving as she tried to stay calm. Kensei could relate to her concern about her brother, he felt similar worry about Shuuhei every time the young man went out on his own. _Can't keep that kid out of your head for five minutes, can you?_

"Alright, ready to talk then?" Sui-Feng shifted on her seat, glancing at the counter.

"Can I get a drink first?"

"Sure, what do you want?" Kensei made an effort to get up but stopped as Sui-Feng stared at him with her mouth open.

"I can get it myself" she snapped once she was out of her stupor.

"It's the least I can do for now."

"I'm not a child. Or a helpless woman."

"Who said you were?" Sui- Feng and Kensei had another staring contest before the girl gave in and slouched back on her seat.

"Vodka on the rocks. Straight." Kensei raised an eyebrow at the girl but he figured she was at least eighteen so it wouldn't be a crime to buy her alcohol. He placed the cool drink in front of her and she immediately downed half of it, earning another raise of an eyebrow from Kensei. Sui- Feng closed her eyes for a second as the alcohol coursed through her veins and relaxed her tense muscles. Kensei sat back to his chair as the girl was ready to talk. Kensei folded his arms on his chest and leaned back on his chair.

"Alright, let's hear it."

* * *

><p>Shuuhei was pacing nervously around the block near the pub he was supposed to meet Kensei. <em>And his mystery woman, <em>the young journalist added in his head as he stopped to pull out his cigarettes for the third time during the past hour, groaning at his own nervousness. _Amateur, _he scolded himself as he flicked his lighter, the stupid thing was acting up again. Shuuhei shook it before trying again, with equally unsuccessful results. _I might have some matches somewhere, _he thought desperately before realizing how farfetched the idea was. _Who carries matches around anymore? Unless you're a pyromaniac. _

"Need a light, kid?" Shuuhei turned around to see a tall man leaning against the tile wall at the corner of the street. He narrowed his eyes at the man, he seemed vaguely familiar somehow.

"Yeah thanks" he mumbled as he stepped closer and leaned down to let the man light his cigarette. The man himself was sporting a half- burned cigarette behind his ear but lighted a new one for himself anyway.

"You're Kensei's little friend, aren't you?" he asked Shuuhei as he had inhaled the first smoke from his cigarette. Shuuhei stiffened at the notion and gave the man a second look.

"You're the driver" he vaguely remembered, "you took me to the hospital."

"That's right" the man grinned and extended his hand to Shuuhei, "Starrk was the name."

"Shuuhei" the young journalist said, though he figured the man knew it already.

"That's right, I thought it was something short and sweet." The man's grin wasn't malicious or evil, he sounded like he was just teasing. _He seemed to have known Kensei for some time…He's actually the only friend of his I know of._

"So how do you know Kensei?" Shuuhei decided to go straight to the point. Starrk raised his eyebrows at him, tapping off ashes from his cigarette.

"I don't know if he'd appreciate me telling you all his dirty little secrets" the man avoided but Shuuhei could sense Starrk himself would love nothing more than to tell some stories about their common friend. He mimicked the man's grin and gently nudged him with his shoulder. It was somewhat surprising to find out that Kensei had a friend like this, the man looked like he didn't actually live on the right side of the law. _Maybe he's been working with Kensei, it's not that uncommon for snitches to befriend cops over time. _

"I doubt something he doesn't know would hurt him" Shuuhei pleaded jokingly and Starrk's eyes shone, a light laugh bubbling from his mouth.

"Alright, if you promise you won't tell him I told you."

"Cross my heart and hope to die" Shuuhei swore, crossing his hand on his chest. Starrk laughed again and took a deep breath from his cigarette before starting.

"Okay, okay, where should I start…Oh yeah, you're probably wondering how I know the guy?" Shuuhei nodded and leaned his shoulder against the wall, the cigarette dancing between his fingers.

"Oh yeah, that's a funny story actually…Well, you can probably guess I'm not the straightest type of guy there is, well who can really blame me in this town…But yeah, anyway, Kensei was just a rookie back then, this was years ago now, oh I remember those days when he was still so naïve and stupid, I almost felt sorry for him, but he's making more than up for it now…Anyway, back then I was still doing what I do best, you know, I was the getaway driver, did bank jobs, armed robberies, all that jazz, I was the best there was. And still am, don't mind telling you." Starrk paused to take another smoke of his cigarette and flashed another self-satisfied smile at Shuuhei, who gave him lopsided grin in return and begged him to continue.

"Alright, so, I was waiting in the car outside this jewelry shop, bit outside of downtown, when the alarms go off. The shopkeeper had installed this automatic system that alerted the cops if something went wrong. So, I hear the sirens coming, the guys are still inside, got caught up trying to argue with the owner, stupid mistake. So I waited for little longer but then I saw the fuzz coming and thought, shit, I'm getting outta here, screw the idiots. So I stepped on it, the wheels are spinning at nothing when I take off and think the cops will just go catch the robbers. But no, one of the cars goes after me, and man, this one is fast. I've been running away from cops before but this one was something else. He kept on my tail for miles on end, and I know my way around this dump."

"So, I decide to have a little fun with this guy, he seems to know what he's doing. I head to the worst side of town, filled with these small alleys and dead ends, I think he must be new since I haven't been chased like this in ages, so he'd get lost pretty quickly. But goddamnit, this guy…I mean, he kept bumping into me every now and then, that's how close he got. Now I start to get pissed off, it's not been a very good day to me so far. I had a revolver in the glove compartment, you know, just in case things go wrong. So I thought I'll drive him into a corner and just scare him off, cops in this town don't value their work as much as their life anyway. But before I manage to do that, he suddenly disappears from behind me. I start thinking he finally gave up and was ready to call it a day, so I turned back to head home, when he comes racing from around a corner and straight into the side of my car! Fuck all that scared me shitless, I can tell you that…"

"So what did you do then?" Shuuhei asked, completely wrapped in the story. He could already guess who the mystery driver was.

"Well, the car doesn't start so I have to get out, naturally. So I take the revolver and stumble out, but before I even get the chance to try and scare him, I can feel a gun poking me in the head. I turn around slowly around, don't wanna get my brains blown out, thank you very much. And I see this young kid, probably younger than you are now, he's all out of breath and red faced, holding the gun like it's gonna turn around and bite him in the ass. I'm really surprised, I didn't know cops came this young, and that he's been the one chasing me all this time, I'm actually really impressed."

"So, I'm quite a of a smooth talker you see, gotten me out of many tight spots before, so I try to talk myself out of it, I can see this kid's new to all this so maybe he'd let me go off with a warning. So, I start to talk, try to ease the situation a bit, ask him his name and stuff like that, but he's having none of it. He's still got the gun to my head but I can't hear any sirens anymore so I figure he's on his own now. Okay, time for another strategy, I can be really nasty too if I have to. So I try to scare him, saying all the usual stuff how no one will miss him, no one is coming to help him, et cetera. I can see his getting nervous now, which is either a good or a bad thing, 'cause if he gets too nervous he might just shoot me or then he might make a run for it. But then, there's some clatter from an alley nearby and he turns his head for a second, and that's when I leap at him, and knock him out cold. Hurt my hand pretty badly though, he had a tough skull…"

"So I start to run from the scene when I see a gang of thugs coming close, and I suddenly realize what they're gonna do when they find an unconscious cop in their neighborhood. That kid is as good as dead. Now, I have no idea why I did what I did, but for some reason I couldn't just leave him there, knowing I'd have his death on my conscience, I have too many sins on my shoulders already. So, I run back and haul the rookie into the police car and jump on the driver's seat, the keys were still in the ignition. I had always dreamed of driving a police car, so this was maybe bit more fun for me than it should've been. I race away from the scene and head back downtown, trying to look like I should be driving a police car. I drive the car all the way back to the police force and then leave it to a nearby alley where he'll be safe."

"Just when I was getting out of the car, the rookie starts to wake up next to me. And this is another thing I have no idea why I did it, but I did it anyway. I stayed there and waited for him to come to. He was still pretty dazed so he would be no danger to me anyway. So I waited for him to come to and then had a little chat with him, he probably had no idea what was happening, maybe it was his first day so he thought this was the way things went in this city. So I stayed and chatted for a bit, congratulating him for his driving and such, and warned him for being too eager. Such things can get you killed in this town. Then I just legged it before he was too conscious to try and attack me. That was the first time I met your Kensei."

Shuuhei was quiet, his cigarette forgotten in his hand. He could easily picture young Kensei being an eager rookie cop and getting himself into trouble with the crooked thugs in the city. If Starrk's story was true, he had been lucky to find the one criminal with the heart of gold. _Or maybe he was aiming at personal gain for saving a cop. That would make more sense._

"So I presume you met him again after that?" Starrk let out a hearty laugh and nodded.

"Oh yeah, it didn't even take a week. But this time I got caught, and was sitting at the holding cells at the force when this young cop walks past me. I take a second look and realize it's the same young cop I had just rescued, so I hollered after him. He comes back, looking all serious and broody, like I'm just a common criminal and nothing else. I try to have a chat with him again but he's being an ass, like he is. But I don't let that bother me and just keep talking and talking. Finally, I see him starting to crack a bit and up my game so he finally starts to talk back to me, making these really dry jokes and all. I'm thinking to myself 'hey, this guy ain't that bad', not in a way as some bribed cops are but an essentially good guy, despite that I know that he would lock me up with no second thought, but well, I had that coming to me anyway."

"So you met again after that?" Shuuhei asked, he was getting more and more curious about Kensei in his younger days.

"Oh yeah, every now and then. Then there came a point when I started to bump into him outside work, so to speak, and I guess I kinda started to look for him after a while, you know, took him under my wing. He didn't really see it like that though, he accused me of being a stalker." Starrk sniggered, snatching the cigarette from behind his ear and lighting it.

"But yeah, that was years ago, must've been a decade since that now. I haven't been in jail for years, cleaned up my act you see, eventually. Kensei helped me out, though he'd never tell that to you if you asked him. To him I'm just a convenience." Starrk gave Shuuhei a sly look from under his messy, curly hair. Shuuhei smiled back at him, shaking his head a little.

"He's a solid guy, you should be happy." Shuuhei nodded and then frowned, a question on his tongue.

"Can I ask you something personal about Kensei?" Starrk shrugged his bony shoulders, his fingers fiddling with his cigarette.

"You can always ask, but I can't promise an answer."

"I figured as much" Shuuhei replied and glanced over his shoulder to the empty street.

"So, what did you wanna know?" Starrk asked, shifting his weight from one foot to another.

"Have you ever seen Kensei with someone that you'd think he'd be, you know, intimate with?" Shuuhei queried, biting the inside of his lower lip as if he had just said something forbidden. Starrk raised his eyebrows at the question and tilted his head back like trying to drain the answer from his brain.

"Not really no, he's never mentioned anyone at least. We didn't talk that much about personal stuff, he's too dedicated to his work to even have time for anything else."

"Thought so" Shuuhei muttered, tucking his hands into his pockets, "but listen, I need to go meet someone, but thanks for this. It has been…educational." Starrk gave Shuuhei a mock salute as the young man turned to leave.

"Always a pleasure, Shuuhei. Tell Kensei I said hi."

"Will do." Shuuhei gave Starrk one last look before walking towards the pub where Kensei should be waiting for him.

* * *

><p><em>Longest fricking speech EVER. And the whole time I was thinking about Tarantino movies. I had a real issue trying to keep the right tense since when you're telling a story you usually tell it in the present tense and then just jump around with it, commenting on stuff and whatnot. I hope it's not too annoying to read, I tried to make it as believable as I could. All the little words like "so", "well" and all get really repetitive in it but I think people do that when they talk. At least I do. Oh well, practice makes perfect. <em>

_EDIT: I'm seriously starting to lose faith with this story, I think it feels way too stretched and slow. I don't what to do with it, maybe I'll scrap the whole thing and start over. I'd like to have more focus on the relationship between Kensei and Shuuhei, but I'm not sure how it would integrate with the plot. Plus it bothers me how I've made Shuuhei bit too OOC for my taste, maybe it's just me. Maybe I''l let it be for a while and return to it later on when I have a better idea of the whole thing. Sorry guys, I know it's shitty to keep you waiting when the story is already dragging on so much. I'll try to make it better somehow._


	12. Chapter 12

_**Okay, let's try again with this. I don't know whether it's the nice feedback I got after my little relapse or the fact that my life has gone to a slightly better direction since the last time I wrote this story but I feel better now, thank you anyways to those who spared few kind words to me. I think I've come to terms with the fact that this is a slow-burning story and just as long I can keep the plot together I'm happy. It's different from most of my other stuff but it's good to try something different for once. Anyway, this chapter has bit more on the pairing for a change, back to the so-called suspense next time. Read&review my pretties!**_

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><p><strong>Chapter 12. <strong>

Kensei was just wrapping up his conversation with Sui-Feng when Shuuhei walked in, putting on his usual boisterous man-of-the-world attitude. He walked to the bar and ordered himself a drink, Kensei watching him from the corner of his eye. Sui-Feng frowned and turned to follow his line of sight, noticing the young man at the bar.

"Is he your friend?" Kensei snapped out of his thoughts and forced himself to focus again.

"Yes, he's the kid who's behind all this. He's the one who will blow this whole thing wide open once we have all the facts in our hands." Sui- Feng turned to look at Shuuhei a second time.

"Doesn't look like much to me" she noted.

"You're not exactly one to talk." The girl gave him a cold glare but Kensei merely raised an eyebrow back. Sui-Feng was noticing all her usual tactics didn't work on this man and it was annoying but at the same time intriguing. She'd have to come up with something else.

"So you'll swear for him?" she asked.

"Yes."

"You do realize how much in danger I will be if either of you gets caught" Sui-Feng said, "I'm as good as dead."

"So are we. So I'd say we're even." _Damnit, _Sui-Feng swore in her head as she leaned back, eyeing the man before her slowly. _He's a tricky one. I don't think I've met an honest man before._

Shuuhei meandered to their table, sipping on his rum and coke as he took in their informant's appearance. She looked quite young, but at the same time hardened by a rough past. She was cute but that was overshadowed by the fact that her face seemed to be fixed into a harsh frown. She was small and thin, but despite her baggy clothing that covered her body she looked athletic, she sat with her back straight and seemed to be constantly ready to explode into movement. _Aka. run away if things don't go the way she wants them to, _Shuuhei thought as he made it to the table and suddenly had the feeling he was gravely interrupting something. Kensei barely gave him a nod and the girl ignored him altogether.

"Good evening" the young man said, not having any courteous words back, "how are things around here?"

"Good" Kensei replied before Sui-Feng had a chance to open her mouth, "we've have come to an understanding." Shuuhei nodded slowly, swishing his drink in his hand.

"Okay, sounds good then" he said, "so are you done already or…"

"Yes" Sui-Feng snapped and quickly got up, still not looking at Shuuhei, "this was…" She looked lost for the right word so she just decided to give Kensei a mock salute before exiting the pub. Shuuhei stared after her, the drink almost forgotten in his hand. Kensei nudged Shuuhei's leg with the point of his shoe to catch the young man's attention.

"You can sit down." Shuuhei flinched slightly before sliding down to the seat Sui-Feng had occupied, glancing around the pub.

"Kinda quiet here" he noted to Kensei who was again wearing that unreadable frown.

"Weeknight, what do you except?" the man replied. Shuuhei arched an eyebrow at him, taking another sip of his drink that had lost some of its taste now that the ice cubes had melted.

"Did your talk with her already fill your quota of casual chat for the day?" Kensei looked puzzled for a second before he caught the hang of Shuuhei's words.

"No" he said, then realizing how the statement contradicted his meaning he added, "how have you been? I haven't seen you…In few days." Shuuhei flashed him a quick smile as he emptied his glass, sliding it across the table.

"I've been good, as you could expect. Made some progress with things too."

"I thought I told you to rest." Shuuhei hummed lightly and raised his eyes to meet Kensei's serious glare.

"You know I can't do that. We don't have time for that."

"Your health is more important than…

"No it's not, don't lie" Shuuhei looked at the table again, drawing circles on its surface with his index finger, "it doesn't suit you."

"I'm not…" Kensei's words stuck to his throat as Shuuhei gave him an ugly look from under his brow. The man shifted uncomfortably on his seat and crossed his arms on his chest, his eyes averting Shuuhei.

"Is something wrong?" he finally asked as the young man stayed quiet. Shuuhei straightened his back and shook his head, running his hand through his hair.

"No, sorry, I'm just…Bit tired I guess. Now, you wanna brief me on what you've found out while I've been incapacitated?" Kensei nodded but reminded himself of asking Shuuhei again. The young man was acting more weirdly than usual.

"Right, so that girl you just saw is Sui-Feng, a regular street kid and an informant for the mobs. Her brother was a drug dealer till he went in over his head and the mobs are making her do all these little dirty jobs to keep him alive. But now they've upped the shots and she wants out, but can't because of the brother. She's ready to cooperate if we rescue him in the process."

"So there is a heart under all that scowling" Shuuhei hemmed, taking out a notepad and pencil from his bag. He started scribbling notes as Kensei explained how Sui-Feng had given him the locations of few upcoming bigger deals around town. She had also agreed to try and collect some evidence on her own, Kensei had promised to provide her with the equipment she'd need for it. Shuuhei paused his writing and pushed his hair away from his face. Kensei's eyes fixed on the scar that still looked bad to him.

"Okay, sounds good enough to me" Shuuhei sighed and leaned back on his chair, stretching his arms above his head. Kensei pressed his hand over his mouth to cover the yawn that tore open his jaws and screwed his eyes shut. As he opened them again he saw Shuuhei was looking at him with a one-sided grin splitting his face, the scar still marred his expressions.

"Tired?" Kensei raised his eyebrows at the obvious statement and rubbed his eyes.

"Could say that yeah. It's been a long week."

"And about to get longer" Shuuhei said, tapping his notes with the pen still in his hand, "you sure you don't want me to handle this?"

"No, I promised her personally. She's just a scared little kid."

"She sure hides it well."

"She would." Shuuhei gave in and sighed lightly.

"So what now? You free for the night?" Kensei ran his schedule over in his head, tomorrow he had a day-off for the first time in weeks but he had promised himself he'd go snooping around on his own. Though he could use the extra hours of sleep too.

"Yeah, got a day-off tomorrow." Shuuhei's face lit up with a smile and Kensei regretted saying anything.

"You wanna get something to eat? You look famished." Kensei frowned but then his stomach answered for him with a loud gurgle. Shuuhei chuckled lowly and pushed his chair back, collecting his belongings into his bag.

"That settles it, late dinner it is. I'm buying so don't worry. You don't look that high maintenance anyway." Kensei scoffed as he got up and walked out of the pub by Shuuhei's side.

"I wouldn't go around making bold assumptions about people you barely know, kid. Might end up badly for you."

"What's the worst that could happen, you order extra fries with your burger?"

"Or even a larger drink."

"Oooh, maybe I should be prepared to whip out my gold card" Shuuhei laughed as they walked towards a nearby diner. Kensei felt a warm tingling on his face and his stomach lurched strangely. He stared at his shoes instead of looking at Shuuhei's laughing face, he feared his brain would make him do something stupid if he didn't. The young man didn't seem to notice this and just craned his neck back as his hands looked for his cigarettes.

"Want one?" he offered to Kensei, the man accepted if only to have an excuse not to talk. Kensei watched as Shuuhei placed two cigarettes between his lips and lighted them both, then offering the other to Kensei. The man could swear he tasted Shuuhei's mouth on the cigarette as he inhaled his lungs full of the bitter smoke that seemed to stung more than usual. The bluish vapor trailed in the night air as they walked quietly on the empty street, passing by the corner where Shuuhei had met with Starrk just moments before. The man's little story brought a smile on Shuuhei's face, which didn't go unnoticed by Kensei.

"What's so funny?"

"Just this thing I heard earlier tonight" Shuuhei answered after deciding not to brush the question away and just say 'nothing'. He looked at Kensei from the corner of his eye and tried to imagine him ten years ago, as a young rookie cop filled with enthusiasm and idealism. _I wonder what happened to that young guy, what made him become so serious and brooding? Well, he still has some humor left in him but that's about it. I kinda wish I could've met him a decade ago, before he became so disillusioned and hard. Though that's kinda sexy too. _

Shuuhei wanted to kick himself for getting sidetracked again. _Professional much? Give me a break you horny little idiot. _Shuuhei took out the cigarette from his mouth and blew out smoke from his nostrils, scratching his forehead with his thumb. They were nearly at the door of the nearest diner and stopped to finish their cigarettes before going in. Shuuhei read the neon sign that flashed the name of the diner and suddenly thought it sounded vaguely familiar. _Have I been here before? _

Kensei finished his cigarette first and stumped it on the ground, then pushed the diner's door open and nudged his head to Shuuhei. The young man followed quickly in suit, stepping past Kensei so close he could smell the man's cologne. For the hundredth time Shuuhei cursed his bad luck for being paired up with the only handsome police officer in the whole town. _Maybe being corrupted makes you ugly over time? _the young man thought as they walked to a table by the window. Shuuhei's feeling that he had been there before only grew stronger as they sat down and picked up the menus. Shuuhei tried to shake off the unnerving feeling and concentrated on the strangely named dishes, trying to decipher which one was just a regular cheeseburger. The waiter, a young man with overgrown blond hair swept over his eye walked to their table, wearing a polite soft smile.

"You ready to order here?" _Holy fuck, it can't be…_Shuuhei tried to hide his face behind the menu as Kensei listed off his order to the waiter.

"And you, sir? Find anything you like?"

"Erm, yeah, I'll just have the cheeseburger meal with coke thanks" Shuuhei murmured, earning a curious look from Kensei.

"Something wrong with your throat Shuuhei?" The waiter flinched and stepped closer to the young man, peering over the menu he was holding to his face.

"Shuuhei, is that really you?" Shuuhei slowly lowered the menu and was faced with the one man he feared more than all the criminals in this city combined. His ex.

"Hi…Kira." Kensei's forehead crunched into a frown as he watched the two young men stare at each other. Both were wearing such mixed expressions he couldn't say whether this was happy reunion or something else completely.

"Haven't seen you around lately. Busy with work?" the waiter asked Shuuhei, his voice straining to stay up-beat. Shuuhei coughed awkwardly and his eyes darted between Kensei, the table and Kira.

"Yeah, really busy. Big story underway, you know how it is."

"That I do" the waiter replied, bit too sharply for Kensei's liking to be just friendly teasing.

"I'll be back with your drinks shortly" he said and shoved his notepad on the pocket of his apron before strutting away. Shuuhei stared at his hands wrenching in his lap, throwing a quick look after Kira as he walked to the kitchen through the swinging doors.

"You obviously know each other" Kensei remarked as he shrug off his jacket.

"Yeah" Shuuhei mumbled, cursing his stupidity. How could he have forgotten?

"Old friends?" Kensei queried further.

"Something like that" the young man answered.

"More than friends then" Kensei deduced, leaning his elbow against the table, "bad breakup?" Shuuhei glared at Kensei, should've guessed the man would use his investigative skills on stuff like this.

"Yes" Shuuhei hissed in a low tone, glancing nervously at the kitchen doors, "I don't wanna talk about it, this is humiliating enough as it is."

"I thought you weren't ashamed of who you are."

"I'm not, it's just…It was a really bad break-up and I haven't seen him after that, so you can imagine how awkward this is for me."

"But not for him?" Shuuhei opened his mouth to say something but snapped it quickly shut as the swinging doors were pushed open and Kira walked back with their drinks.

"There you go" he said, his face fixed into that smile only people working in customer service knew how to do, smiling while constantly saying 'fuck you' in one's head.

"Thanks" Kensei said, Shuuhei was suddenly fixated on his cutlery. But to his horror Kira didn't immediately walk away but instead stayed, rocking back and forth on his heels.

"So, Shuu, how's life?" The young journalist slowly turned his head towards his ex and shrugged his shoulders.

"The same, busy, nothing special" he rambled, staring at a spot somewhere to Kira's left, "how about you?"

"Oh you know, the same, working here, trying to find a nice guy, getting my teeth kicked in, the usual" Kira replied, his smile cracking slowly, "looks like you've had better luck than me in that area. Again." Now Kensei could feel the awkwardness crawling up his neck too as Kira turned his eyes to him.

"We're not together" Shuuhei was quick to correct, "he's just helping me with my work." But Kira didn't seem convinced.

"Work, yes, of course. Should've known." Shuuhei fidgeted on his seat as Kira finally left, disappearing into the kitchen again. Shuuhei buried his face into his hands and moaned quietly at his misfortune.

"Nice kid" Kensei remarked dryly, a wry smile gracing his face. Shuuhei gave him an ugly glare from behind his hands and slouched down on his seat.

"It's not funny" he argued, looking a like a small child having a tantrum. The sight of Shuuhei's pouting face made Kensei chuckle, the sound caused Shuuhei to shoot another glare at the man.

"Wanna fill me in with the details?" the man asked Shuuhei after a short silence.

"No" was the prompt answer but Shuuhei soon buckled under Kensei's stern stare, "fine, I screwed a colleague while I was dating him."

"That explains all the work- related quips." Kensei cocked his head to the side, narrowing his eyes at Shuuhei. The young man wasn't appreciating all the glaring he had gotten that day.

"You wouldn't have figured you as a cheater." Shuuhei's face flared up with embarrassment.

"I'm not! It was just…I was young and stupid."

"Has anything changed since then?" Suddenly Shuuhei felt as if this wasn't just a casual question of his dating past.

"I told you, I know it was stupid, I knew it back then…I was just…Busy and horny, he was there, he was handsome and nice and all over me so it just…happened."

"Heard that many times before" Kensei said, "not a really good excuse."

"I said I know that, stop lecturing me about my love life!" Shuuhei snapped and quickly bit his tongue before he blurted out anything else. _Look at yourself, you're so stereotypically sassy bitch it's embarrassing. Snap out of it! And don't you dare talk about his love life, or I'll kill me myself!_

"Sorry, it's just…Something I'd really wouldn't wanna talk about. Especially here."

"Alright, sorry I asked."

"No, it's fine…" Shuuhei's voice trailed off as he tried to get back that casual atmosphere they once had. Kensei was seemingly comfortable just being quiet but his mind was reeling. He didn't know why he was so interested in Shuuhei's past relationship, despite everything he had convinced himself that nothing would ever actually happen between them, not counting those few small relapses Shuuhei had caused him to have. He didn't know why then he as stringing the young man along, giving him false hopes. _Maybe it's just to make sure he'll finish all this and not cop out. Right, as if you were so cruel. You're a bastard but not that cold. Admit it, you like the attention, you're lapping it up every time he smiles at you or wants to touch you. You love every fucking second and it's tearing you apart. _

"Here you are, enjoy your meals" Kira nearly threw their orders at the table, still wearing that same customer service trademark smile that was as far from genuine as could be.

"Thank you" Kensei shouted after him since this time the young man didn't stay for a chat. Shuuhei didn't feel hungry anymore, he nibbled on his fries that were too salty and slightly burned. He could swear Kensei's food looked much better than his, but put it down to own paranoia. He noticed the older man was staring at him as his food stayed relatively untouched on his plate.

"Eat up, you're too thin" Kensei said as he jammed handful of fries into his mouth. Shuuhei smiled faintly back but tried to eat, the burger tasted slightly better than the fries though he had a horrible suspicion Kira might've spat into it.

"I'm not" he mumbled back with his mouth full of food. Kensei raised an eyebrow at him as he took a sip of his drink.

"Don't talk with your mouth full" he scolded the young man, "and you're not what?"

"Too thin" Shuuhei replied after swallowing. Kensei eyed him slowly and scoffed, shaking his head.

"Yes you are."

"Am not." An amused smile twitched Kensei's mouth as he stared at his plate, effectively cleaning it of food as Shuuhei still battled to get anything down.

"Yes you are" Kensei repeated after a short silence during which Shuuhei had already thought the man had given up. The young man glared at the man, his forehead crunching into a frown.

"You like your men fat and wobbly, then?" he snapped, half joking and half serious. To his surprise Kensei just chortled, almost making his drink spill out from his nose. As he wiped his face on a napkin he looked at Shuuhei from under his brow, his eyes twinkling from laughter.

"I'm just saying your bones are starting to stick out. It's not a healthy look" the man said, and paused for a second, "and no, I don't particularly fancy fat men."

"Oh" Shuuhei said, "okay." Kensei tilted his head to the side, looking more bemused by the second. Shuuhei didn't know whether Kensei found the situation somehow particularly amusing or if he was just in a funny mood. He liked to think Kensei was finally starting to enjoy himself in his company but scrapped the idea, he merely made him feel uncomfortable if anything.

"Neither do I" he added lamely as Kensei kept his eyes on him.

"I figured" the man replied and nodded towards his plate, "eat up before it gets cold." Shuuhei complied, ignoring Kensei's comment for the moment. The food wasn't that bad, maybe it was all just in his head.

"So, what are we going to do now?" Kensei asked him after having finished his own portion. Shuuhei shrugged, dipping his fries into ketchup.

"We could have a look at those clues Sui-Feng gave us, gather some evidence. When were you going to meet up with her again?" Kensei leaned back in his seat, rubbing his face with his hand.

"Wait, what day is it today? We agreed she'd come by on Friday, the force is pretty much empty then."

"So the day after tomorrow" Shuuhei concluded, wiping his hands on a crumbled napkin, "and one of those deals she mentioned is supposed to happen on Saturday. Until then I guess we'll continue the same way as before."

"You mean you're going to run straight into trouble and expect me to haul your ass into safety?"

"Basically yeah." Kensei gave Shuuhei a one-sided smirk which the young man returned with glee. _Maybe I was wrong after all. _

"Fine by me then" Kensei said, pushing his empty plate towards Shuuhei, "you ready?"

"Yeah, I'll get this" Shuuhei said and reached for his wallet when Kensei raised his hand.

"No, I got it. I doubt you want another showdown with your bitter ex." Shuuhei opened his mouth to protest but Kensei was already making his way to the counter. Shuuhei cursed in his head, if this already didn't look enough like a date now the man was making sure of it. _If I ever see Kira again, he'll have my head on a wall. _

But apparently Kensei was able to get through paying without any further drama and walked back to Shuuhei with a curious look on his face. Shuuhei almost leaped out once the door was opened and filled his lungs with cool, fresh air. It felt much better once outside, the diner's oppressive atmosphere had almost sucked the air out of him. Kensei chuckled lowly at him as he zipped his jacket, shoving his hands into the pockets. Shuuhei rubbed his temples, trying to get over this latest embarrassment.

"Sorry you had to witness that" he said to Kensei who just shrugged, seemingly unbothered.

"'Tis fine, though I was surprised you were so quick to correct him about our relationship." Shuuhei looked slightly confused and hurt.

"Well, you've been quite clear on the subject…Besides I didn't want him to think me a complete jackass."

"Bit late for that I'd think."

"Oh thanks, rub it in, will you." Kensei chuckled again, the low sound grumbled in his chest in a way that made Shuuhei's head feel lighter than it should've.

"Sorry kid, didn't mean it. Just so funny making you look so flushed. It's cute." Shuuhei almost stumbled on his own feet at the sudden compliment, or at least that what he thought it was.

"Oh, right…Thanks I guess." Kensei raised an eyebrow at Shuuhei again, his head still lowered.

"Interesting. I'd thought you'd get mad at me for saying that."

"Why would I do that?"

"Giving you mixed signals all the time. Bound to get frustrating at some point." Shuuhei managed to maintain his composure this time, though he could feel his heartbeat suddenly accelerating.

"I…I didn't think it like that." He threw a wary sideways look at Kensei.

"Should I have?" Kensei had an answer ready but then stopped to consider to possible consequences. His head and heart were saying the exact opposite things, making him bite his tongue.

"You seem to have taken almost everything else I've said like that before" he uttered finally, "I was just going by your previous actions."

"Oh" Shuuhei could feel his whole body suddenly getting heavier as if someone had placed an elephant on his shoulders, "okay." Kensei held back a frustrated sigh as he sensed the young man's misery. _Stupid man, you're just making you both unhappy. Is it really worth it? But what would do I without my job, I couldn't work anywhere. I'd have to resort to doing some low-paid handiwork, if even they'd take me. It would be a public farce. I'd be lynched. And probably he too. _

"I'd better head home" Shuuhei suddenly said, waking Kensei from his suicidal thoughts, "before someone sees us." Kensei nodded, his jaw tight as he mulled over the situation. Even though he tried to resist it with every fiber of his being, he just sank further into this mess. And he knew Shuuhei was the same, though he maybe didn't resist it as much. Kensei wasn't sure how long he could last before he snapped, he could only hope that now with Sui-Feng's help they could get this over with as soon as possible, before he did something irreversibly stupid and dangerous.

"Yeah, I'll give a call later. Take care kid, and rest. You're supposed to be in bed rest."

"Yes mother" Shuuhei jeered, trying to shake off the tight feeling in his chest, "see you around, old man."

As Shuuhei walked away Kensei stared after him before tearing his eyes away, his hands clenching into fists. _You're in deep shit, old man. And I have no idea if I'll make it out alive, or if I even want to anymore. That stupid kid has made me doubt the last thirty or so years of my life, I was perfectly happy before he strutted into the picture with his stupid ideals and that cute face. Oh god, now I'm even thinking he's cute. _

Kensei hissed out a frustrated breath, screwing his eyes shut as if trying to eradicate the image of Shuuhei's face from his head. _Just focus on the mission and get it over with, then you'll never have to see him again, ever. Then you can go back to living in that sweet denial you were so used to. Unhappy but at least you'd both be still breathing. And that's what's important, not your carnal lust. Remember that the next time you find yourself being an idiot, which is way too often nowadays. _Kensei walked back home, not even watching where he was going. That's probably why he didn't notice someone watching him from the shadows and then following him back home.

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><p><em>Oh god, I realized all that "eat up, Shuuhei"- stuff was awfully reminiscent of Fifty Shades of Grey (haven't read it, just an awesome review that tears it apart and apparently the other main character, Christian 'The Fucking Dementor' Grey is obsessed with the main protagonist's eating habits). I think I need a lie down. <em>


	13. Chapter 13

_**Had to do some massive re-writing with this, hence the long pause in updating. Hope ya'll like it!**_

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><p><strong>Chapter 13. <strong>

When Shuuhei returned home, all the lights were already out. _Ulqui must be asleep, it is quite late and a weeknight, _he thought as he quietly snuck into his own room and finally let himself relax.

"Holy… Bags of shit" he sighed as he tottered to his bed, pulling off his clothes to the floor as he walked. It had been a longer night than he had ever anticipated, not only with the informant which had been the good part, but also with Kira appearing straight from nowhere. _Good Christ, why did he have to be there, _Shuuhei groaned inwardly as he tossed on his bed, trying to kick off his jeans, _and acting like a fucking child in front of Kensei, for god's sakes… _Shuuhei pressed his hands to his face and rubbed his temples again, he could feel another headache making its way through his brain. He hadn't even thought about Kira in ages, all that had happened years ago when he had just been starting to do this job, as a stupid naïve teenager. _And now Kensei knows how I fucked up that relationship, great great great…Fucking perfect. _

Shuuhei rolled onto his stomach and got up into a sitting position on the bed, reaching the turn on the night light. He reached for his bag with a groan and took out his notes, starting to go them through again and making new notes on the margins. His thoughts kept evading the real issues and overanalyzing Kensei's random comments again. _Fucking hell man, just pick a line and stick to it, would you? Stop confusing me with all that 'cute'- stuff, he knows I'm lusting after him like a sick puppy or something. God, I'm pathetic, _Shuuhei shook his head as he exhaled heavily, trying to set his mind straight again. _Right, so the brother of this girl…Ggio. Sounds familiar. _Shuuhei reached for the top drawer of his desk and pulled out his laptop. He went through all the little bios he kept there of all the people involved in this case, the politicians, the main criminals, the kingpins, everyone he knew who was somehow connected to this.

"There you are" he muttered to himself as he found the name he was looking for. Ggio's file didn't have a mention of his sister so Shuuhei added that and read what he already knew. Ggio had been involved with the drug dealers for few years already, but only as a minor actor, nothing too grand to be bothered with. He was mostly been linked to one of the people working under Barraggan, a real drug lord provider of the city. _Shit, he's really in deep trouble if he's tried to double-cross him…Stupid kid. _

Shuuhei kept updating his files and typing in all the info from the past week when his mobile suddenly started to ring. He lunged at the phone before it rang so loudly Ulquiorra would wake up and took a second to look at the name of the caller. _Unknown? Well, nothing new really, _he thought as he pressed on the green icon. Many of his informants kept their numbers secret or changed them on regular basis, just to stay step ahead.

"Yeah" Shuuhei said to the phone.

"Hey Shuu, it's me." It took Shuuhei a second to recognize the familiar voice.

"Ikkaku? Hi" he said before he remembered what his old friend was supposed to do for him, "Is something wrong, are you alright?"

"We're both just dandy Shuu, I'm calling on the regards of your friend. He's walked into a bit of trouble it seems." Shuuhei nearly dropped the phone and suddenly his mind went blank.

"Kensei? What, why, what's happened?"

"Calm down Shuu, it's all over already, we're here with him…"

"Just tell me Ikkaku, what the hell is going on?!" Shuuhei didn't even notice he was almost shouting now, he felt as if he couldn't breathe. He paced around the room with his hands shaking, brutal images flashing in his head.

"Listen, we were in the neighborhood when we saw him walking home and someone was following him..."

"Holy fuck, no no no" Shuuhei tried to put on his clothes back on while still holding the phone to his ear, "is he alright, what did they do?" Shuuhei heard Ikkaku's rough laugh at the end of the line, mocking his concern.

"They didn't do shit, you should ask what _he _did to _them. _Man, you have some serious anger issues…" Shuuhei could hear Kensei's voice responding to Ikkaku in the background and felt sudden relief. He sunk back to his bed, holding his hand against his head.

"Oh thank God, he's fine…But what happened, who followed him home, what did you do to him?" Shuuhei fired questions one after another and then suddenly jumped up from the bed and started to put his things together, "In fact never mind, I'm coming over." Shuuhei's hands paused as he realized he hadn't ever been to Kensei's place. He shuffled his notes until he found the short bio he had made of the man, containing basic information and some background. The address was scribbled there right under his phone number. Shuuhei remembered the area, it wasn't the safest neighborhood in any case. Maybe the people after Kensei had nothing to do with this case, maybe they were just some people trying to mug a man walking home alone. Shuuhei could only hope.

"Shuuhei, are you listening to me there? Hey!"

"Yeah yeah, sorry" Shuuhei rambled as Ikkaku's voice dragged him back to reality, "what'd you say?"

"I said there's no need for you to come here, everything's cool already."

"Did Kensei tell you to say that?" Ikkaku fell silent, making Shuuhei smile faintly. _Of course he did._

"Well, yeah, but I think he's right, we can handle this on our own."

"You know that won't stop me from coming over anyway" Shuuhei said smilingly. He heard Ikkaku groan and then sigh in defeat.

"Fine, fine, whatever" the man replied, Shuuhei could hear Kensei argue in the background but then Yumichika's softer voice piped up and apparently silenced his objections.

"Okay, I'll see you in a bit" the young man said before hanging up. He was still worried who had followed Kensei from the diner, and if they had anything to do with their current case. _But the important thing is that he's fine, _Shuuhei thought as he tried to sneak out without waking up Ulquiorra, he hoped the young man hadn't heard him shouting on the phone. He snuck outside, making sure he had his keys with before closing the door and then bursting into a sprint, trying to remember the best way to get to Kensei's flat in the minimum amount of time.

* * *

><p>"Fuck me" Ikkaku cursed at his phone as he finally hung up. Yumichika gave him a curious glance and a raised eyebrow.<p>

"Problems?" he asked, a somewhat amused smile playing on his lips.

"He's coming over, even though I fucking told him not to" Ikkaku replied, rubbing his bald scalp with his hand. Yumichika smiled and shrugged his shoulders.

"Told you he would, he's quite stricken with this man."

"Dunno why" Ikkaku scoffed and turned his head to the living room where Kensei was currently in, "doesn't seem like a very charming fellow to me."

"Well, I think you and him have much in common actually" Yumichika chuckled, earning a nudge on his shoulder, "hey, domestic violence is a serious crime."

"Watch your mouth then" Ikkaku retorted but with a cockeyed grin on his face, "let's get back to him, this is getting too suspicious."

"Alright, alright…" The pair walked back to the living room, Kensei was sitting on his huge armchair with an icepack over his left eye, some spatters of blood staining his shirt. He watched the two men with his one good eye as they came into his sight.

"You called him?" Ikkaku nodded, spinning his phone on his hand.

"Yeah, he's coming over. I told him not to, but he didn't listen to me." Yumichika was pleased to notice the flash of a smile on Kensei's face.

"Told you not to call him" the man replied with certain smugness in his voice. Ikkaku rolled his eyes, spreading out his hands.

"How was I supposed to know he'd be so fucking stubborn? He almost didn't let me talk at all so I could explain things to him, he just wailed and kept asking are you okay." Kensei raised an eyebrow at this but didn't seem that surprised. Yumichika gave himself another knowing smile, he had always been good sensing these kinds of things, no matter how hard Kensei was trying to hide it.

"You told him I was okay?"

"Well yeah, I told him you're fine, which you are, I think" Ikkaku replied, eyeing the slightly battered man. _Well, I did say he did most of the damage, not all of it…_

"He's gonna go ballistic" Yumichika remarked as he sunk onto the couch, leaning his elbow on the armrest and tilting his head, "he's quite protective of you." Kensei scoffed, but then winced as the gesture made his wounds tear open bit more.

"Maybe we should take you to a hospital" Yumichika said, his forehead crunching from worry. Kensei shook his head, swatting the air with his hand as if to brush the suggestion away.

"This is nothing, it'll heal by itself."

"Fine, whatever. Your funeral" Yumichika replied, turning his head away. Ikkaku had started pacing around the room, rubbing his arms and throwing glances at the windows.

"You're sure there were only those three guys?"

"Plus the one following him home" his partner added, "and yes, I'm sure." Ikkaku turned to Kensei, who nodded in agreement.

"Did you recognize them, they weren't just some guys trying to mug you, they were after you specifically." Kensei shrugged, his guess was as good as anyone else's.

"Could be some henchmen or goons of the mobsters, or hired muscle. I didn't get that good of a look at their faces to be frank."

"Plus we wouldn't really even recognize them anymore" Yumichika said, "not after the beating you gave them." Kensei grunted but a grim smile rose to his face. Yumichika couldn't help the shiver that ran down his spine, he had witnessed some gruesome sights and been responsible for some himself but for some reason seeing Kensei beat those guys to the pulp had shaken him. He stole a quick glance at the man lounging in the armchair, with the icepack on his face and blood staining his clothes. _There is something…Animalistic in him. Something similar to what happens to Ikkaku sometimes. Maybe I should warn Shuuhei…_

"How long do you think it will take him to get here?" Ikkaku wondered out loud, he had walked to the nearest window and was now peering out from between the blinds.

"Half an hour maybe" Kensei said, then frowned and turned to Ikkaku again, "did you tell him my address?"

"No, he didn't even ask for it, just said he was coming over here now" the man replied, snapping the blinds back to their place, "why, he hasn't been here before?"

"No, not that I know of." Kensei's frown deepened and he lowered his hand that was pressing the icepack on his face.

"So he knows where I live? Great, just great" he muttered, leaning his chin on his hand. Yumichika shrugged his shoulders, not seeing the reason why Kensei should be surprised.

"He is an investigative journalist, he has probably done a background check on you right at the beginning. He'd be stupid not to." Kensei grumbled something back, still staring at the wall so intently Yumichika wondered if he wanted to take it down with the power of his gaze. Ikkaku seemed to be ignorant of the man's inner struggle and just strutted across the living room into the kitchen and opened the fridge.

"Don't you have any food in this house?" he yelled at Kensei, waking the man from his brooding.

"Why?"

"Obvious reasons. I'm hungry" Ikkaku replied as he slammed the fridge shut and started opening cabinets at random. Yumichika raised his eyebrows and then noticed Kensei was staring at him now.

"What?" The man tilted his head to one side as if he was observing an interesting wildlife.

"How do you do it?"

"Do what?" Kensei's eyes moved from Yumichika towards the kitchen where Ikkaku was still going through every single drawer and cabinet. Yumichika let out a light laugh and shrugged.

"I don't know, I can't explain it." Kensei scoffed, clearly not satisfied by the answer.

"But I do know one thing" Yumichika added as Ikkaku's shout "Not even noodles?" echoed from the kitchen.

"And what's that?"

"I know I can't even imagine anything else. It just wouldn't go." Kensei frowned at Yumichika, seeming to doubt the man's words. But Yumichika's sincere, small smile convinced him otherwise.

"You'll know it for yourself one day, trust me" he told Kensei. The man almost shivered at the words and turned away again, tapping his fingers on the armrest of his chair. Ikkaku had finally found something edible from the kitchen and walked back to the living room munching on it. Yumichika gave him a curious look and stretched his neck to see better.

"What you got there?" Ikkaku shrugged, his mouth full of whatever he had found. Kensei had lost interest, if he ever even had any and was now just waiting.

"You still sure you don't want us to take you to a hospital?" Yumichika asked him, only getting a cold glare in response, "fine, just trying to help here."

"Don't bother Yumi, Shuuhei will bust his ass when he gets here. Should be fun" Ikkaku said and sat down next to his partner, "you want some of this?" Yumichika peered at the strange packet in Ikkaku's hand and then shook his head.

"No, I'm good. You can have it."

"Fine, whatever." The next minutes went on slowly as Ikkaku's munching filled the silence. Finally they heard a loud knock on the door and Kensei almost jumped from his chair, ready to rush to the door. But Yumichika was faster and dashed to the front room to open the door. It revealed a drenched Shuuhei, his hair stuck to his head and his clothes soaked through. Yumichika resisted a giggle and ushered the young man inside.

"That was quick" noted Ikkaku, who had also come to the door. Shuuhei managed to nod as he tried to shake some water from his clothes.

"Where is he?" was his first question and Ikkaku glanced at Yumichika, raising his eyebrows. The gestured didn't go unnoticed by Shuuhei and he almost lunged at Ikkaku.

"Just tell me Ikkaku" he ordered, then catching himself added, "please."

"Save your energy for better things, kid" Kensei's gruff voice sounded from the living room where he was still occupying his armchair. Shuuhei quickly pushed past Ikkaku and nearly ran to Kensei, crouching down next to him. His initial relief was quickly overshadowed as he noticed Kensei's swollen face and the blood on his clothes. He opened his mouth but Kensei silenced him with one hard look.

"You shouldn't have come here" the man told Shuuhei but he was having none of it, shaking his head angrily as he tried to control his rising anger.

"You should've called me yourself." The men stared at each other defiantly for what seemed like minutes until Shuuhei lowered his head, a low chuckle of disbelief bubbling from his lips.

"You're an idiot, you know that?" he said as straightened himself back up again, his hand quickly squeezing Kensei's arm. Kensei grimaced back at him, pressing the icepack to his eye again. Shuuhei shook his head as he turned to Ikkaku and Yumichika.

"Wanna fill me in on what exactly happened here?" The men looked at each other and Yumichika shrugged, signaling this was Ikkaku's responsibility.

"Right" the bald man said, feeling slightly nervous despite Shuuhei's seemingly relaxed demeanor, "there's not much to tell really, we just happened to be around when we saw Kensei walking home alone and this weird guy right behind him."

"Did you know who it was?" Shuuhei interrupted, turning back to Kensei. The man shook his head.

"They took him out, not me. I was busy at that time."

"Yeah, while we were trying to get some sense out of that first guy, three others had been waiting for Kensei in here" Ikkaku continued, just to be cut off by Shuuhei again.

"What do you mean here? In his house?" Shuuhei was spinning back and forth between Kensei and Ikkaku, his expression demanding answers.

"Well, yeah…" Ikkaku replied, shifting his weight from one foot to another, "we don't know how they got in, there's no sign of a forced entry, we haven't had time to look into it…"

"They were in your house?" Shuuhei repeated, facing Kensei this time with his voice rising.

"Kid, calm down. It's nothing" Kensei insisted though he knew how empty his words sounded to Shuuhei, especially when he was still pressing the ice on his face and wearing the bloodied clothes.

"Right, nothing, sure" Shuuhei scoffed, his head bopping up and down in mock belief, "I could tell that just by looking at you."

"Shuuhei, please…" Ikkaku tried to reason with the young man but he was having none of it.

"So there were three other men here, in your house, waiting for you, and then what? You killed them, what happened?"

"Nobody killed anyone" Kensei said calmly, his voice getting slower and more deliberate as Shuuhei's anxiety grew, "I managed to hold them off until these two came in and it was all over in seconds. They ran away as soon as they figured I wasn't alone."

"Right" Shuuhei said sharply, "then what? They ran off? You didn't get any of them?"

"No, we were too busy making sure this guy was alright" Ikkaku said, pointing at Kensei, "then we called you." Shuuhei's eyes darted between the men until he finally pressed his face into his hands and sighed deeply, the tension melting slowly from his shoulders.

"Okay, okay. okay…" he mumbled into his hands before raising his head up again and pushing his hair back, "right, so. This is what we're going to do next. Kensei, you're coming home with me, you're not staying here alone." The statement made Kensei jump up from his chair, only to almost crash onto the floor if it hadn't been for Yumichika's lighting fast reflexes.

"Easy there, old man, easy" he said as he gently pushed Kensei back into his chair. Ikkaku and Shuuhei waited for the hit that never came and exchanged somewhat surprised looks. Yumichika quickly stepped away from Kensei once he was securely back on his chair and gave Shuuhei a light smile.

"I've been looking after Ikkaku for years, I know how they are."

"Right" Shuuhei uttered, staring at Kensei who was brooding in his chair, obviously still against his idea.

"I'm not moving into your house."

"Why not? You can't obviously stay here alone."

"If they know where I live, what makes you think they don't know about you?"

"I don't care, I'm not leaving you here alone."

"Maybe" Yumichika piped up, earning angry glares all around, "maybe he could come to our place, just for a while." Ikkaku's eyes nearly bulged out but he kept quiet noticing the look Yumichika gave him. Shuuhei rubbed his neck, contemplating on the idea. Grudgingly he had to admit it was better than his, two trained hitmen were better protection than a young journalist and a morose medical student.

"Okay, that does sound better" he said, "if it isn't any trouble…"

"Hey, I didn't agree to any of this!" Kensei protested, again trying to get up from his chair only to be held back by Yumichika's gentle but strong grip.

"Kensei, you can't be left alone in here, you know that. And these guys are the best protection you could have, don't be stupid." Kensei tried to stare Shuuhei down again but this time he failed, mostly because he could only use his one good eye. Finally he gave in, exhaling loudly as he chucked the icepack away as a small protest.

"Fine, fine, let's do it then. But I don't need a babysitter."

"That's what they all say" Yumichika chuckled softly, "alright, I'll be quiet…"

"But we need to take you to a hospital first. I don't want you dying of internal bleeding anytime soon" Shuuhei ordered, stepping closer to help Kensei up from his chair. Kensei glared at the hand Shuuhei was offering to him but took it, slightly surprised how easily the young man seemed to pull him up. Shuuhei was quick to wrap his arm around Kensei's shoulders, the other one still holding onto his hand.

"You're good to go?" Kensei brooded at Shuuhei for few seconds until the young man's sincere expression and dewey eyes made his will buckle, and he let Shuuhei walk him out of his own apartment. Ikkaku and Yumichika followed few steps behind. The bald man grabbed Yumichika's arm and hissed into his ear.

"How long do you suppose he'll stay?"

"I'm not sure, as long as it takes" Yumichika replied, arching an eyebrow, "how so?" Ikkaku looked at Kensei and then back to Yumichika.

"Well, how long do we have to…You know?" It took Yumichika few seconds to catch his partner's meaning. Ikkaku's earnest expression made him laugh and he kissed the man's forehead.

"Don't worry about that, I'm sure we can manage something." Ikkaku grinned at him, stealing a quick kiss from his lips.

"I'm so happy you're smart."

"That makes two of us." Before their little moment stretched on further, Shuuhei shouted at them from the door.

"Guys, you coming?"

"Yeah, be there in a minute" Ikkaku shouted back, not wanting to let go of Yumichika just yet. But the man himself pushed him away, stroking Ikkaku's head in passing.

"We'll manage something, just be patient" he assured his partner, who groaned as Yumichika walked out of the apartment.

"That's what they all say" he muttered to himself as he left the empty apartment, closing the door behind him.


	14. Chapter 14

_**Huh, this one turned out to be more on IkkaYumi than I anticipated. Guess Kensei will have to wait for his TLC from Shuuhei until the next chapter, sorry guys! But it's coming alright, don't worry.**_

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><p><strong>Chapter 14. <strong>

Doctor Kurostuchi was just going through the newest patch of patient files, trying to find something worthy of his time and interest, when he heard heavy, quick footsteps coming down the corridor. First he thought it to be paramedics rushing some poor soul to the emergency room but then he listened more carefully and noticed the absence of the rattling sound made by the stretchers. Instead he heard at least three men arguing loudly as they came closer, and now he could distinct two familiar voices. Mayuri hissed out a swearword and stuffed the patient files back in their place, trying to make his escape before the men came too close. He almost ran down the corridor when he heard his name being called in a rather demanding tone, which made him even more irate than he was already.

"Hey you, Kurostuchi! Wait!" The doctor first thought about ignoring the plead and just running away but then he realized he would most likely have to pay for it later. So he stopped, and after exhaling deeply, turned around to see a group of four men rushing down the corridor, recognizing two of them instantly. That young journalist with the scar on his face was walking that scary police officer, his arms wrapped around the larger man's body. The officer's face was swollen and bloodied, and his shirt was stained with rusty-colored blotches. Two other men were following right behind them, a bald man whose head almost shone under the fluorescent lights, and his companion whose suit was too well-fitted and hair too shiny for him to be a heterosexual man. Mayuri tilted his head to one side, eyeing the party with light interest now. Shuuhei's scar had healed quite well, though the young man would probably never be able to use his eye properly. The men made it to Mayuri, his eyes fixed on Kensei's injuries. The man was staring back at him and looked much too angry for Mayuri's taste.

"Can you help us out?" Shuuhei asked him, "Kensei ran into bit of trouble, we just want to check he's alright."

"I'm fine" the man grunted under his breath, Shuuhei ignored him completely. Mayuri's face split into a toothy grin that didn't reach his eyes, leaving them as cold and calculating as ever. Yumichika suppressed a shiver caused by that look and turned his head away, reminding himself not to ever get into a position where this man would take care of him.

"It would be my pleasure" Mayuri said, reaching into his pocket to draw out a fresh pair of rubber gloves, "you can bring him to my office, just through here." Ikkaku and Yumichika exchanged concerned glances but Shuuhei didn't seem to mind the creepy doctor and led Kensei to Mayuri's room. The doctor himself showed the way, unlocking the heavy door with his personal identification card that hung on the breast pocket of his coat. Ikkaku and Yumichika stayed behind in the corridor and sat down in the chairs that were lined along the wall. Ikkaku stretched his legs in front of him as Yumichika threw his leg over the other, leaning his chin on his palm.

"You think he'll be alright?"

"Why wouldn't he be?" Yumichika said, staring at the blank wall ahead.

"Just wondering."

Inside Mayuri's office Shuuhei finally let go of Kensei, still ready to catch him if his feet betrayed him. It was a standard looking doctor's office, though Kensei's attention was immediately drawn to the operation table and the amount of scalpels lined on the plate next to it.

"Take off your shirt and lie down" Mayuri ordered as he walked to his computer and clicked on the mouse few times before typing something in. Kensei threw a suspicious glare at the man but pulled his shirt over his head, revealing his well-trained upper body that was criss-crossed by scars, some older and some more recent. Shuuhei frowned as he noticed the newest wounds on the man's abdomen and chest, blood was still trickling from them though they didn't look to be deep enough to cause internal damage. Mayuri finally turned to Kensei and walked over to him, ushering the man to lie down on the table.

"Hurry up, I haven't got all day."

"Want to me tear some more muscles?" Kensei muttered but settled on his back. Shuuhei lowered his hand on Kensei's shoulder.

"Try to relax" he told the man, noticing how his whole upper body was tense. Kensei scoffed but then made an effort to relax his muscles and let the doctor examine him properly.

Mayuri ran his long fingers along the cuts on Kensei's body, the moved onto his face.

"They used their bare hands" he said, it wasn't really a question.

"You can tell that from the wounds?" Shuuhei frowned, "How about the cuts on his chest?"

"Those were made by a quite small blade, something resembling a scalpel almost. But the fracture on his face is made by human hand."

"It's fractured?" Shuuhei flinched, now looking even more worried than before, "Are you sure?"

"Doubting my expertise, are you?" Mayuri snapped, "I'd say ask him yourself but apparently he's too tough to admit being in extreme pain." Shuuhei bit his lower lip as he took another look at Kensei's face. His mouth was a tight line, his jaw tense and eyes staring intently ahead, obviously trying to mask the pain he was in.

"Idiot" Shuuhei sighed again, his fingers gently threading through Kensei's hair. The gesture seemed to take the man by surprise as his eyes moved to Shuuhei, his brows knitting together in an expression that was either confusion or resentment. Shuuhei kept stroking Kensei's hair, adamant on making the man let him do this for him. Kensei really wasn't in the position to resist but slowly his glare softened and he almost leaned into the touch, closing his eyes for few seconds as Shuuhei's fingers brushed his hair. Mayuri ignored the tender moment the two were having and was now cleaning the cuts on Kensei's upper body.

"These aren't so bad, won't even need stitches" Mayuri said, sounding slightly disappointed. Shuuhei ignored this as he was only relieved to hear some good news that night.

"What about his face, the fracture? How long will it take to heal?"

"We need an X-ray to say for sure, but I'd say few weeks, give or take." Kensei was obviously against having to take it easy for so long and opened his mouth to voice out his objections. But Shuuhei was quicker and brushed his fingers along Kensei's cheek and jaw line, silencing him effectively with this sudden act of affection.

"So he'll be on sick leave?" Shuuhei asked, his other hand now reaching to grab hold Kensei's hand as Mayuri drew back, pulling off his gloves.

"Sure" the doctor almost snarled with contempt, "since you asked so nicely." Mayuri wanted to say more but then noticed the look Kensei was giving him and quickly swallowed his words, trying not to shudder under the harsh glare.

"Okay, thank you doctor" Shuuhei said with a smile, which Mayuri took as an insult and stomped to his desk.

"He'll need an X-ray" he repeated, typing angrily at his computer, "you can get the papers from the nurse." Kensei rose up from the slab, Shuuhei's hands slipping away from him as the man put his shirt back on.

"You may leave now" Mayuri announced, as if they were still wondering. Shuuhei rolled his eyes but then moved his attention back to Kensei.

"Sure you can walk?" he asked softly, again reaching for the man's hand.

"Yeah, I told you I'm fine" Kensei grumbled back and swiftly pushed past Shuuhei to the door, wanting to spend no more time in the doctor's creepy presence.

Once back in the corridor, Ikkaku and Yumichika bounced up from their chairs.

"So, what did he say?"

"He needs an X-ray, his face might be fractured" Shuuhei filled them in, "apparently the nurse will know about that."

"It's not my whole face, just the eye" Kensei corrected, still tugging on the hem of his shirt.

"Details" Shuuhei dismissed impatiently, "I'll go talk to the nurse, you wait here. Don't go anywhere." Kensei blinked few times at Shuuhei's back, slightly confused by the young man's sudden bossiness. Ikkaku snickered quietly, his shoulders bouncing.

"Whoop-pssh" he hissed to Yumichika, and suddenly felt a sharp pain on his forehead as Kensei snapped his thumb against it. Yumichika laughed now, a soft sound that dropped from his lips with ease. Ikkaku threw an ugly look at his partner but his frown quickly melted away as Yumichika gently brushed a hand over his bald head.

"Poor thing" he chuckled, "you should watch your mouth."

"Tsk" Ikkaku snorted but took Yumichika's hand into his and pulled the man to his side, burying his fingers into the man's silky hair. Kensei turned away from the sight, rubbing his arms awkwardly and looked down the corridor where Shuuhei had disappeared. He could hear the two men kiss each other, quickly and almost in a casual fashion but still. It made his skin bristle and he noticed how the tension was back in his muscles. Kensei realized he was almost yearning for Shuuhei to come back as quickly as possible and gritted his teeth in frustration. Every single time he tried to push the young man away something like this happened to draw him even deeper into this mess. He was just glad he had dodged the bullet of moving in with Shuuhei, even if it would've been only temporary. Though now he wasn't sure it living with these two would make it any better.

Finally Shuuhei walked back to them, holding some papers in his hand.

"Right, I got a prescription for some painkillers and a note for the force, you have three weeks sick leave" he told Kensei, holding out the papers to him, "the X-ray room is on another floor, we need to find an elevator. After that they'll tell if you need any surgery." Kensei nodded as he skimmed through the papers, more concerned on when he could walk out of this place.

"Alright, let's get going then." Kensei turned on his heel and started to walk to a direction he figured he would a find an elevator in, leaving the others to follow behind. Ikkaku glanced at Shuuhei who was staring after Kensei, there was look in the young man's eyes that he didn't like.

"What are you gonna do?" Ikkaku asked him.

"I'm going to find those men who did this to him" Shuuhei replied, his voice strangely detached and cold, "after that. I can't make any promises." Ikkaku could tell there was no way he could stop Shuuhei from doing what he said he would do, and decided not to even try.

"We're here for you" he told Shuuhei, "don't forget that." Shuuhei smiled mirthlessly and turned his eyes to Ikkaku.

"I'm sorry, Ikkaku. For everything." First Ikkaku was going to brush the apology away but realized how serious Shuuhei was, how serious the situation actually was.

"Don't worry about us, concentrate on doing what you need to do" he said instead, "and tell us what you need us to do." Shuuhei's smile turned into something warmer and he patted Ikkaku on the back.

"Thanks Ikkaku. I will."

* * *

><p>"Goddamnit!" Yumichika didn't even flinch at the sound of breaking glass anymore. He merely turned the next page on the book he was reading, his legs tugged under him as he sat on the old armchair in the corner of their combined kitchenliving room/study. Sure enough soon the door was slammed open and very cross Ikkaku stomped in, muttering obscenities under his breath and wailing his hands in the air.

"Trouble?" Yumichika asked in a carefree tone he knew would irk Ikkaku in his current state. The man whipped around the face him, redness creeping up his neck. He moved his mouth but no words came out as his anger was still too strong to let his voice carry. Finally he lowered his head, his hands balling into fists.

"What do you think?" he managed to hiss out finally, looking at Yumichika with less than amused look on his face. Yumichika kept reading, turning another page in such a calm manner Ikkaku almost want to knock the book out his hands. Instead he pressed his palms into his eyes, trying to breathe slowly.

"That man drives me _insane_" he groaned and started pacing around the room.

"Really, how so?" Yumichika asked, though his tone indicated no interest whatsoever. But in Ikkaku's current mind state he didn't notice or care.

"He just keeps nagging, on and on, and brooding like a fucking teenage girl on her period. I try to be fucking nice but he just spits it back on my face" he ranted, "and trying to make conversation with him is like talking to a fucking evil brick wall." A quaint smile rippled on Yumichika's face as he kept his eyes fixed on his book though he had been staring at the same line for a good minute now.

"Ha, really? I've found his company most delightful" he said, making Ikkaku stop and stare at him with wide-eyes. His face quickly contorted into an ugly grimace.

"Don't fuck with me Yumi. I'm really not in the mood right now."

"When are you ever" Yumichika murmured quietly as he finally put his book away, "I'm being serious, you just don't know how to behave when there's another alpha male on your territory."

"I'm not a fucking dog, Yumi" Ikkaku scoffed, folding his arms on his chest, "and that's bullshit, every word of it." Yumichika lowered his feet to the floor and rose up from his chair.

"Really? Let me show you."

Ikkaku frowned as Yumichika patted into the next room which had become Kensei's kingdom during the past few days he had been staying with them. For the first day he had paced around the room so long he had almost worn a hole into the carpet. After that he seemed to have been possessed by a sudden depression and spent whole day sitting in a chair, staring at a wall. Ikkaku had tried to amuse him, out of courtesy to Shuuhei, but the men didn't really get along. Kensei had either stayed quiet or thrown a sarcastic remark at everything Ikkaku did or said, and he didn't take kindly on people laughing at his expense. Yumichika on the other hand, didn't have the same problem.

"Hey there officer" he greeted the man who was currently sitting on his bed, his hands on his lap and eyes staring into emptiness. The hazy gaze might have been caused by his pain medication or just plain boredom. Kensei turned his eyes to Yumichika as the man sat on the end of his bed, pulling his legs to his chest.

"How are we feeling today?" Kensei just returned to staring at the wall, his fingers flexing slowly.

"You seem to work Ikkaku up without even saying anything, that's quite something" Yumichika continued, still getting no reaction.

"Shuuhei said he'd come by today, he's apparently made some progress."

"On the drug deals?" Yumichika gave Ikkaku a smug look before turning back to Kensei.

"Yeah, think so." Yumichika left out the tiny issue of Shuuhei going after the men who had attacked Kensei, it would be impossible to restrain him. Ikkaku was now cleaning up the shards of the glass he had thrown to the wall before in his fit of rage.

"He's a good kid you know" Yumichika continued, prodding at Kensei's only weak spot, "and so young, risking his life like this. And voluntarily too."

"He's doing what's right. He's a good kid" Kensei echoed Yumichika's words. Despite the ridiculous level of ambiguity Yumichika could sense something change in the man's voice when he talked about the young man.

"Yeah, but still. There are lots of good people in this town, but you don't see them doing anything about this."

"Shuuhei's always had a ridiculous sense of duty" Ikkaku chimed in from the side, collecting all the tiny pieces into his hand, "I don't know where he gets it from, from what I've figured his parents weren't the best kind. No wait, I think he's actually an orphan." This finally got Kensei's attention and there was some flicker of life in his eyes.

"An orphan?" Ikkaku straightened himself up, cradling the shards of glass in his hand.

"Yeah, we grew up together in this children's home type of place, lots of orphans and just rejects and bastards" he explained, then with a twisted smile pointed at himself, "like me." Kensei raised an eyebrow at the casually made statement.

"I didn't know he was an orphan" he said in a quiet voice. Ikkaku shrugged, walking back to the kitchen to bin the shards.

"Yeah, I don't think that comes up that often in this job." Yumichika watched Ikkaku walk out of the room, then heard Kensei speak again, in such a low tone he hardly heard it.

"I didn't even ask him…"

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><p>Few hours later Ikkaku was pumping iron in the kitchen as Yumichika prepared late dinner.<p>

"Sixty- four, sixty-five…" Ikkaku counted under his breath each time the weight rose up. Occasionally he glanced at Yumichika, the man was wearing only his flowery kimono tied loosely on his waist. Ikkaku's eyes traced the lines of muscles on Yumichika's calves and the curves of his shoulders, the nape of his neck with strands of hair falling from his loose ponytail.

Ikkaku had already lost count on how many times he had cursed the lack of privacy in their home since Kensei had stayed there. Ikkaku wasn't sure whether the fact they couldn't really do anything was what made him so horny all the sudden, or if it was something else completely. He wasn't the most caring, gentle type anyway but lately he had noticed a constant, nagging longing to have Yumichika in his arms as much as possible. Maybe Kensei staying with them just now was just a bad coincidence, though Ikkaku doubted it. He blamed his idiotic brain and hormones for the aching want that drove him to punish his body in other ways just to exhaust himself to the point he couldn't even think of anything, let alone think of sex.

_And there I go again, _Ikkaku sighed mentally as he let the weight drop to the floor. Yumichika turned his head upon hearing the sound and soon felt Ikkaku's head rest upon his shoulder, the man's arms wrapping around his waist.

"What's cooking?" Yumichika raised his hand to caress Ikkaku's face as he stirred the sauce on the stove.

"Just something I threw together" he replied, offering the spatula for Ikkaku to taste, "here." The man took the spatula into his mouth and licked it clean of the reddish sauce.

"Mmm, it's good." Yumichika smiled, he had yet to come across food Ikkaku wouldn't eat. Normally he would experiment more freely, but he didn't want to accidentally give their patient indigestion, or worse. Ikkaku had developed a stomach of steel by now after years of eating Yumichika's experimental cooking. Ikkaku was just going to move his hands lower on Yumichika's hips and maybe persuade him into a quick fix right then and there when a loud knock on the front door almost made him hit his jaw on Yumichika's head.

"Who the hell…" he groaned as he let go of Yumichika and walked to the door.

"Guess" Yumichika shouted after him, smirking to himself as he full well knew what the man had had on his mind.

Ikkaku opened the door, ready to give out to whoever who had ruined his mood. He didn't have the chance to do so however, as Shuuhei said a quick hello and entered the apartment.

"Hello Shuuhei, you well?" Yumichika asked, still watching over his cooking.

"Hi Yumi, surviving" Shuuhei replied as he took off his coat and draped it over the nearest chair, "is he…" Yumichika waved the spatula towards the room next door.

"Go ahead, he's been waiting for you." Shuuhei's face tried to express too many emotions at one time and ended up looking something between a grimace and a wide smile.

"Ok, thanks" he managed to utter before gingerly opening the door to the next room and poking his head inside from the crack. Ikkaku had lopped into the armchair in the corner and was rolling the weight back and forth on the floor with his foot. He looked as Shuuhei slipped into the room and shut the door behind him. The walls weren't very thick but enough so to block out all possible speech.

"You think they'll end up together?" Ikkaku asked his partner who usually had a much better intuition on these things.

"If it depended on Shuuhei, they would've been at it like drunken monkeys for weeks now" Yumichika chuckled, "but with Kensei…I'm not sure, it's about more than just what he wants."

"Sucks though, doesn't it? Having your work dictate your personal life."

"Well, it's not that different with us."

"Yeah but you know what I mean. We can pretty much do what we want if we don't get caught, and even then…We got some good friends, don't we?"

"I suppose."

"But with him, if this thing gets out, it's over. For good. Kaput."

"You might be right."

"Might?" Ikkaku frowned, leaning forward in his chair, "what do you mean?" Yumichika shrugged, turning around to face Ikkaku.

"Well, if this all goes through like we want and Kisuke takes over, he would be the most powerful man in town. And Kensei would be the hero, maybe then they'd let this one slide."Ikkaku raised his eyebrows at this, pressing his back to the chair again.

"You got a point there" he agreed, "but there are lot of ifs in there too."

"Isn't that why we're here? To take out some of the ifs?" Yumichika asked, cocking his head to one side with a wry smile.

"Guess you could put it like that" Ikkaku grinned, "But now, when's dinner?"


	15. Chapter 15

_**Argh, life always gets in the way of things I'd much rather be doing. The next month will be an essay-filled hell for yours truly, so if updates are few and far between I apologise. I just need to survive till Christmas and then things should get better. Then again I have my Bachelor Thesis to do so that might prove to be another big time waster altogether. I shouldn't be even writing this, I have two essays waiting for me with their sharp claws (I hate hate hate reading academic journals, gah!) so let's wrap up and get on with the chapter!**_

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><p><strong>Chapter 15.<strong>

"Hi." Kensei had heard Shuuhei come in and yet he was facing the wall, though he ached to see the young man's face. There was suddenly so much he wanted to ask him, Ikkaku's words from before hadn't left him alone. He wanted to ask more, know more but he wasn't sure if he was in the position to do so. Shuuhei had been quite open about his current life situation but not about his past. He had been pretty upset seeing his old boyfriend too. There seemed to be lot of pain in Shuuhei's past and Kensei didn't want to open a can of worms that would ruin everything at this point.

"Hi" Kensei said as he finally tore his eyes off the wall and faced Shuuhei, the young man was looking thinner and paler than before.

"You look like shit." Shuuhei snorted lightly, walking to Kensei's bed.

"Could say the same thing to you. Only you'd kick my ass if I did." A grim smile tugged Kensei's lips as Shuuhei drew himself a chair and sat next to his bed, yawning loudly and then shaking his head to rid the sleep from his eyes.

"You haven't slept in a while, have you?" Shuuhei laughed the remark off again, running his hands through his hair to push it away from his face.

"No, not really. Been busy." Kensei was about to say something again about the importance of Shuuhei's health but remembered the young man's outburst the last time he had tried to do so and decided to say quiet this time.

"Good to know that someone is" he said instead, rolling his shoulders back, "I'm starting to think I'm losing my mind being stuck here."

"You've been here for what, two, three days?" Shuuhei said laughingly, finding Kensei's cabin fever bit exaggerated.

"Well it feels longer" the man grunted, folding his arms on his chest, "they won't even let me go outside. I'm lucky if I'm let out of this room."

"Well I don't think Yumi and Ikkaku would appreciate a cop rummaging through their apartment" Shuuhei noted, reminding Kensei of the nature of their friends' occupation. Kensei rubbed his face with his hand, lopping back on the bed.

"How are you feeling then?" Shuuhei asked, his eyes scanning the man's body for his wounds. The fracture around his eye had only been minor and would heal on its own, Kensei was currently sporting a huge bruise around it. He looked like he had been part of a massive bar brawl.

Kensei shrugged, his hand touching the skin around his eye and flinched.

"I'm fine, if I just got to go out" he replied, throwing a sly glance at Shuuhei, "you could help me out, couldn't you?"

"Oh what, smuggle you out?" Shuuhei chuckled again, finding Kensei's blight increasingly amusing.

"Why not?" Kensei asked, pushing himself back up and throwing his feet to the floor, leaning forward so that his knees were touching Shuuhei's. The young man had to choke back a nervous flinch as Kensei was suddenly so close. Shuuhei had managed to keep his mind clear of thoughts relating to Kensei for good few days now but just being in the man's presence made it all come crashing back to him. Even worse, Kensei grabbed his hand, pulling him even closer so that he could feel the man's breath on his skin.

"Just get me out of here, anywhere. I can handle myself fine, I can come with you tonight." Shuuhei knew Kensei was saying these things to end his house arrest but he wanted to interpret them as so much more. Especially when Kensei was holding his hand so tightly.

"You need to rest and heal" he argued, trying to pull his hand free but Kensei just tightened his grip, "I can't afford you collapsing in the middle of things." Kensei scoffed, shaking his head in disbelief.

"I'm not weak, I'm just bored" he said and looked at Shuuhei's hand he was holding. For a second he thought about trying to use Shuuhei's affection for him to get out of here but instantly scrapped the idea, it would be too cruel and would bite him in the ass before long.

"Just few more days, it'll do you good to get some rest" Shuuhei said with a soft smile, finally sliding his hand away, "you need it." Kensei snorted again, flexing his now empty hand. Shuuhei's familiar touch had made him feel better than a week's worth of bed rest ever could. He opened his mouth to say it out loud but decided against it, he was still trying to deny the feelings that were by now screaming at his face. He wasn't yet sure which pain would be worse, trying to bear denying his own feelings or giving into them and ruining everything else in his life. Shuuhei was looking at him with those curious eyes, his head to the side, obviously aware that there was something brewing in Kensei's mind but he had no idea of the depths the man went into in his struggle. To Shuuhei these things were simple and straightforward, he had gone past caring about other people's opinions and hoped Kensei could do the same. But by the looks of it there was still a long way to go.

"Any news?" Kensei asked finally, trying to ignore how feeble Shuuhei looked to him and how his protective instincts kicked in every time he saw the young man like this. The young man rubbed his eyes as he gathered his thoughts into a cohesive narrative for Kensei to understand.

"Ah, yeah, I went to that drug deal we talked about, I got some good evidence from there…Even surprised myself." Shuuhei stretched a smile for Kensei, who tried to answer to it despite his growing worry.

"Anyway, I just came from the darkroom, I got some photos right here if you wanna see them" he offered, reaching for his packbag, "I wanna see your face when you see them." Kensei cocked an eyebrow, he would've preferred for Shuuhei just telling him who he had seen but then gave in again, he didn't want to argue with Shuuhei at this point.

"Sure, give it here" he said, holding his hand out to Shuuhei. The young man took out a stack of fresh photographs and leaned closer to place them right in Kensei's hand. His fingers brushed over Kensei's palm but quickly drew away, earning a slight frown from the man. He had already been used to Shuuhei taking advantage of any slight possibility for lingering contact but now the young man just leaned back, yawning again with his eyes screwed shut.

Kensei turned his attention to the photos in his hand, bringing them closer to his face. First few were taken for afar so he couldn't make out the individual faces of the people, only that they were four of them present. They did look slightly familiar though, and Kensei turned on to the next picture. This one was taken with a closer zoom, and now he could see the faces of the two men giving the drugs, recognizing them almost instantly. They were familiars with the force already from years back, small-time crooks with long lists of previous convictions but never nothing so major it would've locked them up for good. Kensei flipped on to the next picture which featured the two people receiving the goods and felt a small jolt of surprise run through him. Shuuhei seemed to know what he was seeing and let out a low, cynical chuckle, leaning his arms on his knees with his head hanging low, the sharp light of the room cast ugly shadows on his gaunt face.

"Nice to know what the pillars of the community are doing on their spare time." Kensei frowned as he squinted at the photo, part of him wanting to deny what he was seeing.

"You've got to be fucking kidding me…" he muttered, earning a bemused look from Shuuhei.

"I was bit surprised myself when I it. But then again, I should be used to seeing this." Kensei's hand tightened into a fist as he threw the photos on the bed, leaning his face into his hand. Shuuhei raised his eyebrows and reached to collect the photos into a neat stack. He said nothing as Kensei breathed slowly, his back and shoulders rising steadily. Finally the man snapped out of it, quickly rising up from the bed and started to pace around the room, his steps falling heavily against floor. Shuuhei turned around to follow the man with his eyes, partly amused by this outburst.

"So what's next then? I mean, this alone could blow the whole thing open." Kensei grumbled something under his breath and shook his head angrily.

"What? What is it?" Shuuhei asked, getting slowly annoyed by Kensei's insistent brooding. The man stopped on his tracks and then turned around, looking at Shuuhei with darkened eyes.

"No. You will not be using this as evidence in this case. Anything else, but this." Shuuhei's first reaction was a burst of laughter that quickly turned into an almost disgusted grimace.

"What the hell…"

"There's another drug deal happening tonight, you can get your evidence from there" Kensei interrupted him, "but this…These pictures will not leave this room, do you understand?"

"No, I don't understand" Shuuhei said, getting up from his chair so fast he knocked it over, "what the hell is your problem all the sudden?"

"I don't have a problem as long as you get rid of those photos." Shuuhei stared at Kensei with his mouth opening and closing as words betrayed him.

"You…I just…" Shuuhei shook his head as a mirthless laugh fell from his lips, "I don't fucking understand you." Shuuhei turned to pick up his things and leave, he was too tired to argue and didn't see any point in trying to talk with Kensei now anyway.

"I don't understand, not one bit" he repeated, keeping his eyes on the floor, his voice wavering as he tried to stay calm, "I risk my life out there and then you tell me what I can and cannot do…Fucking bullshit…"

"Shuuhei…"

"Don't" Shuuhei was quick to cut Kensei off, still not looking at the man, "just don't say anything. I don't want to hear it, not now, not ever. You are not telling me what to do, I don't care what your reasons are. You've been playing me long enough as it is, now you're actually interfering with my work and that's too much. I can't handle this anymore, not with you. We're over, this, whatever this was, is over. Hope you're happy." Shuuhei headed for the door to make a dramatic exit when he felt his arm being grabbed tightly, pulling him back. He realized Kensei was right behind him, he could feel the man's breath on his neck.

"Shuuhei, listen to me for one second. That's all I ask." Shuuhei tried to shake the man off but even in his bedridden state Kensei's grip was strong as a vice.

"The reason I said you can't use those photos…"

"Stop it, just fucking stop it" Shuuhei interrupted again, "I don't care, it's none of your business. If I had known you'd force me to get rid of evidence I wouldn't have even looked at you twice."

"It's not like that."

"I don't care, I told you already. This is over between us, professionally and every other way it might had been." Kensei's grip loosened just so that Shuuhei wrung himself free, but instead of storming out he only took few steps to create distance between them. The warmth of Kensei's body and those words spoken in such a soft tone had almost been enough to cloud his judgment.

"Shuuhei, all I'm asking is few minutes. Please." Shuuhei almost felt bad hearing Kensei plead, he had somehow been able to drive that proud man into begging for his time. _Wouldn't have thought this would be possible just few days ago. It has always been me doing the begging and pleading for attention on my knees. _But Shuuhei knew that was different from what Kensei was doing right now, this was work, even if it had something personal to do with Kensei this wasn't about them.

"Shuuhei, please" Kensei repeated, "don't leave…" Kensei's sentence seemed to be cut short, as if he wanted to add something to it but held back. Shuuhei felt himself turn around, wanting to see if the urgency of Kensei's plea actually showed on his face. He found himself looking the man in the eye, and once again felt his determination waver.

"Fine" Shuuhei uttered, his voice straining under his mixed emotions, "spit it out. But if I don't like it, you'll never see me again." Shuuhei would've wanted his words to have some effect on Kensei but the man didn't even flinch. His hands clenched into fists though, and his eyes became steely, the pleading look shadowed by the coldness of rejection.

"The person in those photos is someone I have made a promise to. A personal promise. I cannot compromise that, even for this. You need to understand this."

"No I don't" Shuuhei argued, "I have kept my personal issues away from this, I except you to do the same."

"I know that. But this…" Kensei looked away, finding it difficult to express the importance of his current stance.

"Tell me about the promise. Then I might just listen."

"It's…very personal."

"Don't care, you brought it here, you have to deal with it now." Kensei sighed, folding his arms on his chest and then faced Shuuhei again, this time with a look of resignation on his face.

"If these photos get out, that person's family will be in great danger. Everyone involved in this case will be, but these are innocent people. I made a promise to him to keep his family safe, this was years ago. They have four children, young kids. Besides, the reason that man is buying those drugs is not for himself, it's for his partner. He's seriously ill and traditional meds just don't work, he needs to get it from other sources. This will not only ruin his career but also put his whole family into danger."

"They shouldn't have started dealing with these criminals in the first place" Shuuhei said, though with less conviction this time.

"I know, but if the option is a life of pain and suffering, wouldn't you do everything you could for the one person you love?" Shuuhei clenched his jaw and turned away.

"This isn't about what I would do."

"But you understand his situation" Kensei insisted, taking a step closer. Shuuhei's shoulders tensed, just the close proximity of the man was making him nervous now.

"Are you involved with this man in some other way?" he managed to ask, even though he knew the answer could be painful. Kensei frowned at the question.

"No, he's an old friend, nothing more. And I made a promise to him years ago that I would keep them safe and this would never come out. It's the least I could do for them."

"Quite a huge promise to make, even for a friend."

"Wouldn't you do the same for your friends? If they really needed you to?" Shuuhei thought about his friends, always wanting to help him with the cost of their own lives. Ikkaku and Yumichika, who actually were risking their lives for him and his cause that they didn't even care about that much.

"I…Ah, I guess so" he finally groaned. He then threw another incredulous look at Kensei, who was looking slightly more relaxed now as he sensed he had managed to win Shuuhei over.

"So you've known about this the whole time, and didn't think to mention it to me?"

"I never thought it would come up."

"Oh come now, you can't be that naïve."

"You don't have the right to call me that" Kensei snapped, "you don't have the right to know everything about me." Shuuhei let out a dry laugh, shaking his head.

"I think you just lost your rights telling me what to do. So spare me the preaching, I can barely look at you now anyway." Kensei sighed tiredly, sitting back to his bed and leaning his head into his hands. Shuuhei hardened his heart so he wouldn't feel the pain twisting his insides. Kensei looked so tired and worn- out, Shuuhei could swear the lines on his face were more pronounced than before and his skin looked grayish, probably partly also from being sick. _I've done this to him, without me he would be alright. _Shuuhei turned his back to Kensei, staring at the door. _Whatever he's done, I have no right to judge him. He's a much better man than I'd ever be, how would've he known years ago that he'd have to work with me on this case? _Shuuhei exhaled, his shoulders dropping down. _Fuck._

Shuuhei turned around to see Kensei still holding his head in his hands.

"Hey." The man quickly raised his head up to look at Shuuhei, who felt even worse seeing the pained look in Kensei's eyes.

"I'm…Sorry. I was wrong to all that…You're right, you have done nothing wrong, I'm just…Too wound up in this whole thing to think clearly."

"No, don't apologise. It's my fault, I should've told you right from the start, now I've made you waste time and put yourself in danger for nothing…"

"Not necessarily" Shuuhei cut in, a faint idea slivering into his brain, "there might be something I can do with this." Shuuhei pressed his index finger on his lips as his brain racked on. Kensei arched an eyebrow at him, waiting to hear this new master plan.

"You think that this friend of yours might be up to giving us a hand?" Kensei twisted his mouth as he tried to think of an answer.

"He might be. But I think he wouldn't appreciate us barging on his front door and demanding help."

"Oh no, I will deal this with ultimate care" Shuuhei promised, though a smirk twitched the corner of his mouth. Kensei snorted, rolling his eyes towards the ceiling.

"Fine, but even if he doesn't want to help, you won't use the photos, agreed?"

"Yeah sure, I have another gig tonight anyway" Shuuhei shrugged, slowly lounging towards the bed. He stifled another yawn pulling his jaws, blinking quickly as his vision blurred slightly. Kensei looked at him with worry, his hand twitching awkwardly as he wanted to reach for the young man.

"Sit down, you look tired." Shuuhei stared at the spot on the bed next to Kensei, knowing if he was a wiser man he would leave. Instead, he folded himself on the bed, scooting back so that he was leaning against wall. Kensei was still hunched over on the edge of the bed, his head turned to the side so he could see Shuuhei from the corner of his eye. The young man looked exhausted, his eyes kept closing.

"You can rest here before leaving again" Kensei suggested. He felt again the odd tenderness towards Shuuhei, he looked so tired and so young. Without even thinking Kensei shuffled closer to Shuuhei and pulled him to his lap. Shuuhei didn't resist in the slightest, Kensei felt a lump in his throat as he touched Shuuhei's skinny arms, he could feel the bones sticking out from the skin. He ran his fingers through Shuuhei's hair, smelling the faint scent of dirt and musk.

"It's you who should be in bed rest" Shuuhei noted, his voice sounding groggy already.

"You can keep me company" Kensei blurted out and almost bit off the tip of his tongue as he realized what he had just said. Shuuhei's body shook as he chuckled, shifting to a more comfortable position as he half-lied on Kensei's lap.

"Sounds good to me." Kensei leaned his back against the wall as he cursed the situations he put himself in. _There's just no way you can wriggle out of this one. This is…Just too far. _He felt Shuuhei's hand slid down his arm and lacing their fingers together. Kensei felt his heart rate slow down and his head cleared, the nagging feeling of nervousness faded away. Slowly he heard Shuuhei's breathing steadying and knew he had fallen asleep. He didn't know how much time had passed when the door to the room was pushed quietly open and Yumichika poked his head inside.

"There's dinner" he announced but then suddenly lowered his voice when he noticed the position the two men were in. A smile spread to his face and he pulled the door shut.

Kensei felt strange, of course he had been aware that Yumichika and Ikkaku probably wouldn't be bothered if he was involved with Shuuhei but still… The approving smile and discreet exit had been the last reaction he thought he'd ever get being seen with a man in a compromising situation like this. He had always imagined anger, shouting and straight up violence. He ran his hand up Shuuhei's side, the young man shifted on his lap, his head snuggling better against Kensei's stomach. Kensei could feel the scales tilt for Shuuhei and his old life was beginning to look like something that had happened years ago. These past weeks were burned clearly into his mind and the time before was blurry and gray, unimportant and eventless.

"Stupid kid" he said quietly, stroking Shuuhei's cheek, "look what you made me." Shuuhei smiled in his sleep, his hand hooking around Kensei's waist. Kensei knew soon he'd have to wake him up, but figured he could stretch the moment on little longer. Then he'd have to stay behind and wait, not knowing if this was the last he'd ever see that wry smile and those bright eyes, not being able to do anything about it. Kensei realized he had began to fear more for Shuuhei's safety than for his own reputation. _And it's all because of this skinny, stupid kid, _he thought and almost laughed at the absurdity of the situation. _Guess it doesn't take much when it's the right person. _


	16. Chapter 16

_**I hate it when stories stretch for this long, I keep forgetting characters along the way and what has already happened, 'cause when I think about it, there's been quite a lot stuff going on already. And I feel I'm nowhere near the end! I need to do some recapping to get myself back on track. I feel slightly disturbed that I'm not really feeling this story like I did with my other Shuuhei&Kensei stories. It's fine but…Over-analysis, the burden of every English student. Stop it right now. Anywhore, on with the chapter!**_

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><p><strong>Chapter 16. <strong>

Kisuke was nodding off in his office, his legs raised on his desk and his chair leaning back in a hazardous angle. It wasn't a surprise that when his door was almost kicked open, he woke up and immediately made his chair fall back, tumbling down to the floor. He had barely managed to scramble back up when someone grabbed him by the neck and dragged him to his feet a bit too violently for Kisuke's personal taste.

"Easy there fellow, this is my only neck, thank you very much" the young politician blabbered on as he leaned his hands on the desk, the steel grip finally loosing. Kisuke rubbed his assaulted neck as he caught the first glimpse of his visitor. Cold grey eyes were staring down at him, brows knitted tightly above them. Kisuke flashed his most charming smile though he might as well have tried to seduce a rock.

"Hi there Kensei, long time no see" he said amiably, "how are you, my dear man?" Before Kensei answered Shinji dashed into the room, leaning against the doorframe trying to steady his breath.

"Sorry Kisuke, he just bust in" the man wheezed, pressing his hand on his chest, "Jesus Christ…"

"It's okay Shinji, we're just chatting" Kisuke said, slightly put off by the fact that no one else in his office had even tried to stop a stranger from bursting into his office in the middle of that day.

"Oh, good then" Shinji said, closing the office door so that no curious workers would stick their noses inside, "so, what's up Kensei? Shuuhei doing well?"

"That's not why I'm here" Kensei said harshly, now walking around the office closing the blinds and securing the door, then giving Shinji an evaluating glare. The man looked back at him with a raised eyebrow, refusing to be scared by him.

"Oh, then, might I ask why have you decided to grace us with your impressive presence?" Kisuke asked, sitting back to his chair.

"I was attacked about a week ago, some thugs were waiting for me at my apartment" the man announced, making both Shinji and Kisuke flinch, though Kensei himself didn't seem that bothered.

"Good God, are you alright?" Kisuke asked, but Kensei just waved his hand dismissively.

"That's not the point, I came here to ask how they knew about me." Shinji frowned, stepping closer to Kensei.

"You think we leaked that information to someone?" he asked, glancing at Kisuke, "I'm not even sure we know where you live."

"I'd rather not bring up your questionable past Shinji, but if you keep lying I will" Kensei interrupted, making Shinji snap his mouth shut and his expression darken. Kisuke looked serious now, pressing his fingers together with his elbows on the desk.

"Now now gentlemen, there's no need for this" he said, his usually jovial voice taking on a stern tone that made them both listen, "Kensei, I would appreciate if you didn't threaten my staff and Shinji, you know better than to lie to a police officer."

"Has worked fine for me before" Shinji quipped but quieted down under Kensei's glare.

"So Kensei, you think someone from my office told those thugs where you lived? Kind of a far-fetched idea, isn't it?" Kisuke asked, "You do know your own force is riddled with informants as well."

"None of them knows of this mission, of that I'm sure" Kensei said.

"How?" Kensei's jaw clenched tightly as if his next words were hard for him to say out loud.

"Because I would've been caught long before now if someone from the force knew of this" he managed to say, "not a word from you, Shinji."

"I didn't say anything!"

"I can hear you thinking about it, stop it."

"Geez…" Shinji scoffed, leaning against the office door with his arms folded across his chest.

"Considering how careful we've been with this, the only people who would know about me are you."

"Why can't it be the mobsters, maybe those you shot perhaps?" Shinji put it, looking incredulous and not at all happy with being interrogated like this.

"Because then I would be already dead, they wouldn't have just sent three guys to rough me up. They would've shot my at the steps of the force" Kensei said, his detached tone made Shinji shudder. Kisuke twisted his mouth as he followed Kensei's reasoning, it sounded plausible enough. But he was also sure that they hadn't leaked the information about Kensei's part in the investigation, or that Kisuke himself had anything to do with it.

"Are you sure there is no one else who knows about your part in this?" he asked Kensei, "Because I highly doubt someone in my staff would be stupid enough to cooperate with the mobsters, knowing my stance with them. And that would be saying that they even knew about this whole operation, which is highly unlikable. Maybe someone saw you with Shuuhei and dropped the hint?"

"What about that little girl who came to you?" Shinji suddenly asked before he could stop himself. Kisuke gave him a sharp glare and Kensei turned to look at him with a deep frown.

"How do you know of that?"

"Errr…" Shinji tried to back off further into the corner when Kensei grabbed him by the collar, raising him an inch above the floor.

"Spit it out" Kensei growled at him, his eyes piercing straight to the back of Shinji's head. But to his surprise the blonde's eyes suddenly steeled and he stopped fidgeting in Kensei's grasp, staring back at him with equally forceful defiance.

"Fine, I told her about you. She's a friend, now you happy?" Shinji snapped and grabbed Kensei's arm with his own hand, twisted and suddenly Kensei's grasp loosened enough to let Shinji drop back to the floor. The man calmly smoothed down his shirt and straightened his tie, glancing at Kisuke over Kensei's shoulder.

"Now, can we get back to civilization? I'd rather not be battered in the middle of my work day." Kensei backed off, now looking at Shinji with slight amusement in his eyes. The blonde wasn't sure whether this was a good or a bad thing but decided it was better than being beaten up.

"So you think your friend might have rattled me out?" Kensei asked him, making Shinji sigh and rub his face with his hand.

"Well, they do have her brother so maybe she tried to sell you out to get him free" he guessed with a shrug, "she was desperate enough to come to you, I think that says something."

"You sent her to me knowing she might betray me? Nice move" Kensei scoffed. Kisuke had been following this exchange with interest, Shinji usually kept himself in check but something about Kensei just rubbed him the wrong way. _Or the right way, I haven't seen him act like himself in ages. _

"As I said, she is desperate and she has a lot of good info that you need. Match made in heaven" Shinji retorted, folding his arms on his chest again and cocking his head up defiantly, "and as it seems you're still up and about, even if the thugs know who you are, they're not feeling threatened enough to off you, so what's the damage?"

"The damage is if they decide that killing me is too difficult and instead go after Shuuhei, in which case I will personally see that these streets run red with the blood of the person responsible for it. All the way back to you two, if I have to." Kensei paused, for Shinji's taste too dramatically but Kisuke was liking this more and more, despite the death threats.

"So if you have anything to do with this, better spit it out now when you still have all your teeth left." Kisuke widened his eyes and almost clapped, he liked this new Kensei much more than the brooding, serious one. Not that he didn't sound serious now, his cold voice almost gave Kisuke chills. But then thinking about toothless Shinji made him chuckle.

"Alright, alright, you made your point already, giving me more graphic threats doesn't help" Shinji sighed, rubbing his forehead with his knuckles before looking back up, "okay, so I can assure you that I have no idea who rattled you out, but if it pleases you, I will make finding out who did my personal priority. Good enough for you?" Kensei stared at Shinji bit longer before nodding slowly, finally turning back to Kisuke who quickly assembled his face into a neutral expression.

"Was there anything else you needed, my dear Kensei?" the politician asked quaintly, cocking his head to the side, "How's our brave little reporter baring these days?" Kisuke smirked to himself as he noted the twitch on Kensei's face upon mentioning Shuuhei, he had figured there would've been some development in their relationship by now.

"He's doing just fine" the man almost spat out, "and was doing much better before he came to you. I'm starting to doubt you ever wanted to help us in the first place." Kisuke chuckled lowly, lowering his eyes.

"What makes you think that, mind telling me." Kensei frowned at the sudden change in Kisuke's tone but the image of Shuuhei's scarred face made his will steel.

"You might have just given Shuuhei info that you knew would lead him into far more dangerous situations than he needed to be. The mobsters become nervous and start to harass the politicians for not keeping the curious journalists away. They might want to see some changes, maybe some new people who actually can work for their benefit. Someone who knows everything about how this city works, whose right hand is a former criminal." Kensei paused to give Shinji a long look, to which the man answered with a raised eyebrow and an unimpressed face.

"You know, I've already heard some rumors about the mayor getting hustled, people saying he's getting out of touch. Have you heard anything about that?" Kisuke made a humming noise and kept looking down, rubbing his forehead.

"You got lot of things right thing there Kensei, I admit that. But I'd warn you, I'm not the man you want to anger. Especially not now when you're in this deep."

"That a threat?" Kensei asked, looking tense and ready draw blood. Kisuke finally raised his head up and locked eyes with the police sergeant.

"If you want to take it that way, then yes. But I'd rather you not, I'd hate for things to go down this way when we're so close."

"Close to what? I don't see how things have gone any further, just worse."

"Remember what you just said? They're getting scared, they will make mistakes. And that's when you come in and end it." Kensei shifted his weight from one foot to another, his eyes still cold and callous.

"I don't like you Kisuke, and I'm starting to doubt you'd be the thing this town needs. But I guess in the scheme of things you'd be the lesser evil." Kisuke smiled faintly, shrugging his shoulders.

"It's your call Kensei. If you want to quit now, you can walk out of here unharmed. But after that, I can't guarantee anything. To you or Shuuhei." Seeing Kensei's anger flare again Kisuke continued:

"I'm not saying that to be cruel, I'm saying it because it's true. I have to look after myself and my employees, and I don't shy away from any means necessary to do just that. If you or Shuuhei get in my way, that would be unfortunate but unavoidable. Do you understand what I'm saying?" Kensei didn't look any happier, quite the opposite. But he nodded, grudgingly.

"Good. Now, I propose we make a deal." Kensei bit his tongue not to spit out a sharp remark, his steady glare was a sign that he was listening.

"If this works out the way I, and we, want to, I would become a very powerful man. Once in that position, I could do you a great favor, if you could just bear with us for a little longer."

"What kind of a favor?" Kisuke exchanged glances with Shinji who nodded shortly.

"What do you think of young Shuuhei, Kensei?" Kisuke asked lightly, enjoying the twitch that twisted the man's face.

"What are you going at?"

"I'm saying, that as a mayor, I could protect you. Both of you. Give you the privacy you need." Kisuke could almost hear the wheels turning in Kensei's brain and felt amused by the fact that the man wasn't even trying to deny his statement.

"I can't quit my job" he finally said, sounding almost pained.

"You wouldn't have to. Everything would go on as normal, as far as the public eye is concerned. You'd be free." Kensei turned his back to Kisuke, starting to pace around the small office. Shinji stayed quiet, not wanting to have his face smashed in. Kisuke waited for good few minutes until Kensei was ready to talk again.

"Fine" the man grunted, and with that, he left the office, almost tearing the door of its hinges. Shinji watched him storm out of the office to the confusion of the employees and then tried to close the door, with little success.

"Just leave it" Kisuke said, leaning back in his chair again with a heavy exhale, "I'll get it fixed later." Shinji let the door swing on its broken hinges, tapping his fingers against the frame.

"You sure he'll do it?"

"Yes" Kisuke said, lacing his fingers together on his lap, "he has to now." Shinji opened his mouth to say something but sensed this was the wrong time. He hadn't seen Kisuke like this in ages. He quietly left, leaving the young politician to his own devices. At the moment, even Shinji was bit afraid of him.

* * *

><p>Shunsui Kyoraku was having a quiet smoke break behind the building he worked in. The sweet aromatic smell of his cigars made his mind unwind and clear up, the last few days had been more nerve-wrecking than usual. It wasn't just his work, his situation back home was getting almost too much for him to handle at the moment. Too much things to cloud his judgement, which was essential for him in his work. Shunsui inhaled a lungful of smoke, closing his eyes as he tried to shut off the whole world around him. He was so out of it all he didn't at first even hear the light footsteps coming his way, until he moved his hand to his hip ready to pull out his gun.<p>

"Easy there stranger" he said without even looking at the person disturbing his one peaceful moment of the evening, "I'd rather not hurt you."

"Right back at you." Shunsui frowned at the voice, it didn't sound like the people harassing him usually did. It was far too young and light, or then again maybe it was one of those new guys they kept recruiting. Shunsui could swear they got younger each year. Or maybe he was just getting older.

"You're a new one, kid", he said, still concentrating on smoking his cigar and tapped off some of the ashes, "who sent you this time?" There was a small laugh, another weird thing.

"No one sent me here, old man. But you might want to spare few minutes of your time for me, I guarantee you won't regret it."

"Highly doubt it, kid" Shunsui said but did finally turn towards this bold intruder and raised his eyebrows in surprise, "my my, you are young." Shuuhei laughed again, shifting his weight from one foot to another.

"I get that a lot" he said smilingly, "maybe I've been hanging in the wrong crowd all this time."

"Could be" Shunsui replied, stomping out his cigar, "so, what's this all about? If no one sent you, how come you know me?"

"We share a friend" Shuuhei said, again slipping bit too deeply into his undercover agent slang, "and I have some information that you might not want to become public." The atmosphere immediately tensed as Shunsui gripped more tightly onto his gun.

"Easy there kid. I doubt you have any idea how stupid it was to say that to me." Shuuhei didn't look scared, though he could guess the man was hiding a gun under his coat.

"Maybe" he retorted, his eyes moving to look at the rooftops over their heads, "but at least I wasn't so stupid as to come here alone." _Shit, _Shunsui thought as he forced himself not to turn and look. Instead he flashed the young man an amiable smile and spread out his empty hands.

"No need to act rashly, is there?" he asked, now almost painfully aware of someone watching them from the rooftops, "Now then, who is this shared friend of ours?" Shuuhei shifted his weight again, throwing another quick glance at the crouched dark forms at the rooftop.

"Maybe we should continue this somewhere private" he suggested and saw the forms starting to move quietly down the fire escape. He could swear he saw steel glinting in the faded light of the stars.

"Okay then, you lead the way" Shunsui said, keeping his hands in sight. Shuuhei slowly backed away from the darkened alley, making sure that Shunsui was coming after him. Behind the man's back he could see Ikkaku drop to the ground, Yumichika quickly following after him. Shunsui seemed to be unaware of them, though after hearing about the man from Kensei, Shuuhei highly doubted it.

Shunsui walked slowly behind Shuuhei, eyeing the young man from a new perspective this time. He had been right about him not being the usual type of thugs who came to rough him up, or tried to at least. But judging by what he had said he didn't have to rely on his own strength to get what he wanted, there was someone else with him to do that. Shunsui sighed softly under his breath as he rolled his shoulders back, he could've gone through the day without this. Jyushiro was waiting for him at home, as were the kids. He'd have to come up with yet another excuse for being late.

"How far are we going?" he asked, patting his pockets for his cigars again.

"How about there?" Shuuhei asked, pointing at the small pub that was on the next corner.

"Yeah sure" Shunsui shrugged, lighting his cigar behind his hands.

"Good" Shuuhei said as he turned around on his heel to face Shunsui, now finally showing his face under the cold light of the street lights. Shunsui kept his eyes down until he had managed to light up and raised his head only after inhaling the bitter smoke into his lungs. He traced the scar marring Shuuhei's face, noticing it was only few weeks old. _He's even younger than I thought…Or just looks like it, _Shunsui thought as Shuuhei rocked on his heels, his shoulders pulled up and breath coming out in small clouds of vapor. Shunsui felt an uneasy tingling on his neck as if he was being watched, making him sure that Shuuhei's little helpers were still hanging around. He could also see the nervousness almost drip from Shuuhei's every gesture. He puffed out a cloud of smoke with a crooked grin.

"Listen, kid. I'm a father of two young girls, I'm not going to kill you in the middle of the street." Shuuhei scoffed with an equally twisted smile, turning his dark eyes to Shunsui so that the scarred side of his face was to the man.

"I'm sure you won't take it too bad if I don't really feel like taking my chances. No matter how many kids you have waiting for you back home." Shunsui shrugged, craning his neck back.

"Tough one, aren't you? I didn't know they made 'em this young." Shuuhei kept looking somewhere behind Shunsui's back, the older man tried to read something from his face but couldn't. It kept irking him, usually he was much better than this.

"You wouldn't mind just telling everything to me now so we could both get back home?" he tried, knowing it was a long shot, but after mentioning his daughters out loud the tight feeling around his chest had just gotten worse.

"I think you don't want to talk about all this while outside where anyone can hear us" Shuuhei countered, "it's for your own good as much as it's mine." Shunsui exhaled as he dropped the cigar on the ground. He had a bad feeling this wouldn't be a casual chat with no strings attached at all.

"Fine, let's do it your way then." Shuuhei flashed an almost genuine smile to him, though the effect was mostly done by the scar that made him look like a comic book villain.

"That's what I wanted to hear all along" he said and gestured towards the pub's door, "after you."


	17. Chapter 17

_**Feels really weird writing dialogue between guys named Shunsui and Shuuhei. Not a whole lot of difference there, I'm almost sure I mixed them up at some point…Anyway, yet another chapter to this story, hope you like it!**_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 17.<strong>

The pub they entered was filled with thick cigarette smoke, clouds of it hanging above the tables were the people sat and smoked. Shuuhei maneuvered them to a quiet corner table away from prying ears and eyes, Shunsui didn't even take off his coat as he sat down and slouched back in his seat. He sighed and pushed back his scruffy hair before he looked at the young, gaunt looking man in front of him. The light above the table cast shadows across Shuuhei's face, making it look like a skull with barely any skin pulled tightly over it. The black circles around his eyes looked darker, accentuated by his bloodshot eyes. _And I thought I looked bad, _Shunsui thought as he placed his cigars and matches on the table, fiddling with them as he waited for Shuuhei to start talking. The young man looked oddly relaxed and calm, Shunsui would've thought he'd be jumpy and nervous for some reason. _Maybe I'm starting to lose my touch. _

"I'm sorry to bother you in the middle of your work" the young man suddenly said, earning a surprised hum from Shunsui.

"Didn't seem to bother you before" he replied with a slight smile tugging the side of his mouth, "but it's fine. There's only so much I can do around there nowadays." Shuuhei nodded as if he knew exactly what Shunsui meant, and maybe he did. _I feel like I know less and less every day. Maybe this is what getting old is like. _

Shuuhei scratched his head before leaning slightly forward, lacing his fingers together.

"You know the cop called Muguruma?" he started, deciding to approach the issue from the perspective of their common ground.

"Yeah, I do" Shunsui said, fiddling with his box of matches, "how's the old boy doing?" Shuuhei couldn't help the smile that flashed on his face, only briefly but not quickly enough to go unnoticed by Shunsui. _Looks like he's finally found someone. Good for him._

"He's…He's fine. Busy, but fine" Shuuhei said, shifting in his seat as he tried to focus on the matter at hand, "anyway, I've been working with him on this kind of a classified case for few months now and we came across some stuff you might be able to help us on. We'd really appreciate it." Shunsui raised his eyebrow, slightly curious now but still wary.

"Really? Sounds very curious indeed" Shunsui took out one of his cigars and lighted up, flicking the match into the ashtray in the middle of the table, "care to tell me more about this case of yours?" Shuuhei smiled faintly as he reached into his satchel and pulled out punch of photographs and notes, pushing them over to Shunsui across the table.

"I think it would be best for you to see for yourself." Shunsui exhaled a cloud of smoke as he took the papers and browsed them through, his eyes catching all kinds of familiar names and faces on the files.

"Well well well, very interesting case you have here, young man, I admit that" he said after a while, glancing at Shuuhei from under his brow, "but you seem to be more than capable of doing all this yourself, what do you need an old man like me for?" Shuuhei chuckled lowly as he crossed his arms on his chest, leaning back on his seat.

"From what I've heard, you're not just any old man working for the government. I take it you saw some familiar faces in those files?" Shunsui nodded slowly, tapping off ashes from his cigar.

"Well, as you said, we have pretty much everything we need in there already. But I have a feeling this whole thing goes a bit deeper than we have access to. That's where we'd want you to come in." Shunsui leaned back too, hooking his other hand around the back of his chair.

"You think I'd give out government secrets to a kid like you? What's the catch?"

"I had hoped you'd want to help us out of the goodness of your heart" Shuuhei smirked but then became serious again as he thought about defying Kensei's orders of not showing the photos to Shunsui. It might backfire quite badly but it might also be the only way to make him cooperate. _Okay, let's try diplomacy first…_

"Kensei told me he has helped you for years now, with your family and…all that. I was hoping you could consider this as a payback for that. I assure you, we would not mention you by name." Shunsui didn't seem convinced yet, his eyes were fixed on the glowing butt of his cigar in the ashtray.

"Kensei is a good friend" he finally said, weighing his words carefully, "but using that to blackmail is not very nice thing to do." Shuuhei stayed quiet, sensing the man wasn't finished.

"However" Shunsui sighed, running his hand through his long hair, "this…case of yours holds a special interest to me personally. And I might just have the thing for you, so it would be very irresponsible of me not to help you." For the first time Shunsui cracked a real bright smile.

"Besides, my husband would tear me down if he heard I had turned Kensei down when he asked for my help." Shuuhei felt as if something in the man's words had twisted his insides into a tight knot, the way Shunsui said the word 'husband' and the look on his face was just something so filled with emotion it made Shuuhei feel jealous and delighted at the same time. He hoped he could say the same thing someday, so openly and really meaning it. To have someone who would make him smile like that. _Maybe…Once this is all over, then maybe…_

"So, you're in?" he asked just to make sure. Shunsui sighed again and looked up at Shuuhei straight in the eye.

"Yes, I'm in. And you can thank Jyuushiro for that later." Shuuhei smiled back at him, now relaxing back in his seat.

"Jyuushiro, that's the name of your husband?"

"Yeah, my better half" Shunsui said warmly, drawing circles on the table's surface, "he's a psychiatrist, helping the young and confused. He's a saint, I have no idea what he's doing with a guy like me." Shunsui shook his head and laughed as he realized he was saying way too much he needed to.

"Sorry, you don't want to listen to an old man's romantic ramblings, you want to know about the mobsters and criminals of the underworld" he said but Shuuhei just smiled.

"No it's fine…It's good to hear someone talking about something else than crimes and corruption for a change."

"Figures, it's not a happy job you do" Shunsui said, "but I guess having someone to do it with you helps."

"Yeah, it does" Shuuhei replied and only then realized he was smiling like an idiot, something that Shunsui was quick to pick up on. He laughed softly and leaned forward with a sly smile on his lips.

"So, how did you and Kensei meet? If I may ask." Shuuhei laughed nervously as he noticed what the man was hinting at.

"No, we're not…Together, we just work together on this case, it's nothing…" Shunsui cut him off with a loud laughter and reached to pat his hand over the table.

"Oh kid, I'm way too old to believe that crap. Besides, you're a terrible liar." Shuuhei lowered his head, trying to figure out how to talk his way out of this situation. Part of him wanted to talk about Kensei with this man, his old friend. Maybe he could help him understand Kensei better, give him some hope. Shuuhei had noticed the slight changes in Kensei's behavior but didn't let himself get too optimistic yet. Even if the man would finally allow himself to follow his heart, their case was still open. And before it was over, they were both in danger. On one hand it would make sense for them to use this time wisely in case they ended up being killed, but then again on the other hand they should focus on the mission rather than meddle with more relationship drama. Shuuhei looked up again, exhaling heavily as Shunsui waited for his answer.

"I…I think I was quite stricken from the moment I saw him, but I figured he would never…And I still think he might not. Sometimes he's…He worries about me so much and I feel he wants to be able to do more but…It's his work, he can't be with me and work as a cop, they'd smoke him out of there in a second. But I…He's not like any guy I've ever met before, he's…" Shuuhei uttered a laugh as he tried to find the right words to describe Kensei, very aware of the smiling gaze Shunsui was still giving him. The old man seemed to be having fun watching him bumble like a teenager with a crush. But in a way that was exactly how Shuuhei felt as he tried to make sense of his feelings for Kensei.

"I mean, he's obviously…hot and gorgeous, that's the first thing I noticed when I met him. I was very drunk at the time" Shuuhei continued, earning a low chuckle form Shunsui and an understanding nod, "and at first I thought he was this humorless tight-ass who hated me for…Being me, who I was, he was always so rigid and nervous around me. But then I realized that he's nothing like that, well, mostly not. He saved my life, and took care of me, going well beyond his duties. He put himself in danger knowingly, just because of me. And now…I know he likes me, maybe even wants me, but… He just can't allow himself to be like that, it would ruin everything he has fought for, and I…I don't really think I'm worth it."

Shuuhei's mouth felt dry as he finally stopped talking, avoiding Shunsui's knowing eyes. The old man stayed quiet for a while before he was sure Shuuhei had finished and then whistled lowly at his story.

"Well, I have to admit it kid, I don't envy your situation. I know Kensei can be bit…Harsh, but he's a good guy, and if you've managed to get yourself on his good side, you have a permanent life insurance right there. He's looked after me and my family for years, without complaining, never asking for anything in return. But you're right, I've known he's gay for years but he has never admitted it to himself, mainly because of where he comes from, and nowadays of course his work. I'm disappointed to say that we live in a time where being openly who you are can get you thrown out of your job, no matter how good you are. It's a damn shame." Shunsui lighted another cigar, offering the packet to Shuuhei, who erred for a second but then drew one out, letting the old man light it for him.

"How about you then? You and your, husband? Shuuhei asked as they both leaned back with their cigars. Shunsui puffed out few smoke rings and then turned towards the bar, winking at the bartender.

"If we're gonna go into that, we need some drinks" he said to Shuuhei as he turned back, now smiling widely.

"What about your work?" Shunsui shook his head laughingly.

"They won't miss me there for a while. And I have feeling this is far more important anyway."

* * *

><p>Kensei was at the gym, taking out his frustrations on a punching bag that swung wildly in the air as he kept assaulting it. All the pent up energy he had been building up while being stuck in Ikkaku and Yumichika's apartment had to be released somehow before he could even think straight, and this was the best way he had come up with. It was already late, the sun had gone down about an hour ago and everyone else had left, he was all alone. The only sounds were the satisfying slams of his fists against the leather-bound sandbag and the creaking of its chain, and his occasional heavy breathing.<p>

Kensei jumped few steps back, readying himself for another series of jabs and straights when his ears picked up on a foreign noise. He turned around to locate it and realized it was coming from his gym bag that was lying against the wall in the corner. Kensei exhaled as he walked briskly to his bag, feeling sweat pour down his back and face, making him bat his eyes. He rummaged through the gym bag, pushing aside exchange of clean clothes, protein bars and water bottles to finally find his cell phone. He glanced at the screen quickly before raising the phone to his ear.

"Yeah?" he said, picking up a clean towel to dry his face with. First all he heard were loud noises and commotion and two very familiar voices laughing but then someone realized the call had been picked up.

"Heyyy, Kensei? How are you, old dog?" Kensei automatically smiled at the sound of Shunsui's voice.

"I'm just fine, how about yourself? Sounds like you're having fun."

"Oh, we are" Shunsui replied, accentuating his words with a loud laughter and apparently turned to say something to his company, "I've spent a lovely evening with a very lovely young man, a friend of yours apparently." Kensei frowned, trying to make sense of what Shunsui was saying when he remembered. Shuuhei had gone to meet him, to talk about their case. _And apparently of everything else, _he sighed mentally as he dried the sweat of his face.

"So you've met Shuuhei, great" he said, "good to know you two get along." Another loud laugh rang through the line, and now Kensei could hear Shuuhei's laughter from the background. He tried to deny the feeling in his stomach that the laughter caused, his free hand balling into a tight fist. _Get your shit together, idiot. Get over it. _

"Yeah, we were just talking about you actually" Shunsui continued and Kensei realized the man was pretty drunk, "very interesting conversations, very interesting…" Kensei could feel his heart rate picking up as he thought of all the possible conversations those two might've had. This could be very bad, and embarrassing.

"So anyway, we thought maybe you'd want to join us, we're having some drinks at this old bar, what's this place called? Oh yeah, The Old Faithful, you know where it is, don't you?"

"Yes, but I don't think that's a good idea…"

"Great! I'll see you in a bit. Bye-bye!" Before Kensei had a chance to protest, Shunsui had hung up on him. He dropped the phone back into his bag, draping the towel on his shoulders. He thought of his options, he could either stay here and finish his workout, or do as Shunsui had asked him to and join them in the bar. Or he could just ignore it all and go home, be in bed early and wake up fresh in the morning. But even as Kensei thought about the last option he knew he wasn't going to take it, the second he had heard Shuuhei's voice his choice had been made.

"For God's sakes" he sighed as he picked up his bag and swung it over his shoulder, heading for the showers.

Almost an hour later Kensei entered into The Old Faithful a sleazy bar just outside downtown filled with cigarette smoke and old drunks. And now apparently two of his closest friends. It was quite easy to spot the two men sitting in the corner table, laughing loudly and toasting to each other every chance they got. Kensei shook his head as he walked over to them. Shuuhei was the first to notice him, the young man almost spat out his beer, wiping his mouth on his sleeve. Shunsui turned around to greet his old friend, his eyes already glassed over by alcohol. He opened his arms wide as if he wanted to embrace Kensei, who stopped good few feet away from the man.

"Heyyy, you made it" Shunsui smiled at him, his words slurring slightly already. Kensei glanced at the army of empty glasses on their table and rolled his eyes. He knew he would be the one who'd have to explain to Jyushiro later.

"Looks like the party is already over" he noted to them, but only got derisive laughs in return.

"No no no, we're just getting started" Shunsui retorted, slamming his hand against the table and waving at the bartender, "sit down, join us. Please Kensei, it's been too long."

"Yeah Kensei, have a drink with us" Shuuhei concurred, already drawing Kensei a chair between him and Shunsui, "you need to relax, you look tense." Kensei groaned mentally as he sat down, he could smell trouble from the way Shuuhei eyed him and smiled at him, his gaze splaying slightly. He remembered seeing him like this the very first time they had met and recalled the way the young man had looked at him like he was going to eat him up. Shuuhei had that very same look in his eyes again, and Kensei couldn't help the anxious feeling he got from being eyed like that.

"So, Kensei, my dear old boy" Shunsui started, leaning his chin into his hands, "how have you been, it's been a long time since I last saw your ugly face." Kensei cocked an eyebrow at the man as a waiter brought them a tray full of beer and whiskey. Shunsui pushed a pint and a shot of whiskey towards Kensei, taking himself a shot as well.

"I've been working, as should you. What are you doing here anyway?" Shunsui smirked at him, nodding to Shuuhei who was still making googley eyes at Kensei.

"Your charming little friend here came to see me, asking for my help. So I promised I'd help" Shunsui explained, as if getting drunk was an important part of all that.

"And doing that included you two getting drunk out of your minds?" Kensei asked, taking a sip of his beer. He had a feeling he couldn't take these two with a sober head. Shuuhei and Shunsui exchanged quick glances and burst into laughter again, earning a roll of eyes from Kensei. Suddenly he felt a warm hand on his thigh and raised his eyes to look at Shuuhei who was still wearing that same luscious smile.

"We've had a nice chat" the young man said, looking at Shunsui who raised his glass to him, "Shunsui has told me lots of interesting things about you."

"Is that so?" Kensei grunted, throwing a quick glare at Shunsui, "I can assure you not half of what you've heard is probably true." Shuuhei chuckled lowly and squeezed Kensei's thigh.

"Don't worry, I've only heard good things" he said with a wink as he finally drew away and took a shot of whiskey into his hand, "as I would expect."

"I only have good things to say" Shunsui concurred, reaching to toast with Shuuhei and they both downed their shots, striking the glasses back to the table with twisted grins on their faces. Both then turned to Kensei who hadn't even looked at his own shot of whiskey.

"Go on then" Shunsui encouraged him, earning a deep frown in return.

"I'm not getting drunk tonight" Kensei said sternly, "especially not with you two."

"Oh c'mon Kensei, we haven't had fun in ages" Shuuhei complained, pushing the shot closer to the man, "let loose for once."

"Yeah, for old times' sake" Shunsui added, making puppy eyes at Kensei, to whom to gesture was merely amusing instead of endearing. Then he felt Shuuhei's hand on his skin again, this time on his arm. Shuuhei rubbed his thumb against Kensei's skin, brushing over the back of his hand.

"Kensei, we deserve this. Little fun never killed anybody."

"Depends on the kind of fun you're having" Kensei replied, but Shuuhei could see the smallest of smiles tugging the corner of his mouth and knew the man was giving in. After a deep sigh the man finally grabbed the shot in his hand, stared at it intently for few seconds and then downed in one go. Shunsui and Shuuhei both cheered loudly as he slammed the glass back on the table, trying not to grimace at the bitter taste that burned its way down his throat. Shunsui slapped him on the back as Shuuhei raised his glass to him.

"'Atta boy, I knew you couldn't resist the temptation." Kensei's eyes instantly flashed to Shuuhei, who raised his eyebrows at him in a way that spelled out quite many things. Kensei could feel his old self recoiling in disgust and horror, and knew that just few months ago he would've been almost frozen with fear of being found out. But now he just returned the gesture, maybe with less subtext but he did anyway. Shuuhei lowered his head but Kensei had already seen the huge smile on the young man's face. _Worth it, _Kensei thought as he turned back to Shunsui, who was wearing an almost indecently smug grin.

"Stop smiling like that, you're giving me nightmares" Kensei quipped, taking a gulp of his beer. Shunsui merely chuckled and clinked his glass against Kensei's, throwing a quick look at Shuuhei who was still smiling at the table. He leaned closer to Kensei, bidding him to lend his ear.

"You two make a cute couple" he whispered to Kensei, enjoying the furious glare he got from the man.

"Not a word from you" Kensei warned him but Shunsui could hear there was no real threat behind the words. He drew back and waved to the bartender once more, this night would be even longer than he had anticipated.


	18. Chapter 18

_**And, as you have all been waiting, some lovey-dovey action between our two protagonists. Enjoy! Hope it satisfies your carnal needs. **_

**Chapter 18. **

Kensei shook his head as he watched Shuuhei trying to find his keys. The young man was swaying back and forth, barely staying on his feet. Kensei could feel the buzz of whiskey in his own head too, thumping behind his eyes and the making it feel as if his body was few inches away from where it should be. The night had been exactly as he had anticipated, drinking with Shunsui always ended the same way. The difference was that this time Kensei had kept an eye on Shuuhei, knowing the young man couldn't handle his liquor so well. Shunsui had of course noticed but said nothing, in another situation the man would've harassed him into drinking more.

Kensei had been pleasantly surprised that Shunsui had kept his mouth shut about his past and focused more on Shuuhei, asking about the young man and his work. Shuuhei had been more than happy to share tales of his past adventures, his time in college with his closest friends, who Kensei had already had the pleasure to meet. Shunsui had been laughing the whole night, and even Kensei hadn't been able to hold back his laughter in few occasions, Shuuhei was a good storyteller. Or then his friends were just all crazy.

Shuuhei had kept touching Kensei every now and then, lightly but noticeably, and Kensei had let him, even allowing himself to enjoy it. Even Shunsui's smirking hadn't bothered him, or his indecent winking. The two had kept glancing at each other and laughing like they shared a private joke, but Kensei had decided to ignore it, focusing on drinking on those occasions. He knew it was probably better for him not to ask.

Kensei also knew that if he had spared one second for rational thought he would've never stepped a foot into that bar, what if someone had seen them? Having Shunsui and Shuuhei there was bad enough, but him accompanying them was just asking for it. If anyone linked to the mobsters had seen them, things were likely to get real ugly real quick. But Kensei had let his emotions take over, for the first time in years. Kisuke's promise and Shuuhei's clear yearning had been enough to sway his judgment. And the alcohol might have also played a part in this farce.

Kensei leaned his shoulder against the wall as he watched Shuuhei struggle with his pockets. Trying to keep up with Shunsui's drinking would be fatal for the inexperienced, but Shuuhei had carried his weight almost admirably. Kensei had discreetly pushed glasses of water into the young man's hands every now and then, just to keep him from overdoing it. But judging from the way he still wasn't finding his keys, it hadn't been enough.

"Need help?" Kensei asked, an amused smile tugging his lips. Shuuhei shook his head, going through all his pockets once more.

"Though the thought of your hands buried in my pants is very tempting, I need to prove to myself that I can do this" the young man replied, "I've never been so drunk I haven't gotten home safely."

"As you wish" Kensei said, slightly doubting Shuuhei's words but let it go.

"I never thought you'd have friends like Shunsui" Shuuhei said as he rummaged through the pockets on his coat.

"Why not?"

"Because. He's relaxed, cool, and openly gay. And you are…"

"Not?" Shuuhei raised his head up and stopped his search to look Kensei in the eye. Just few weeks ago he would've waited for the man to punch his lights out for saying such things out loud but now Kensei looked merely amused.

"Well, not quite. I mean, you're cool and all but otherwise…No."

"I can't relax when I have to look after your stupid ass" Kensei scoffed, crooked grin gracing his face, "you're always running into certain death. Or drinking with my oldest friends and gossiping about me."

"No I'm not" Shuuhei snorted, then paused to think for a second, "well okay, sometimes. But not always."

"And besides" he continued, wagging his finger at Kensei, "I wasn't this careless before you came along. You've made me trust you so much that I feel safe enough to do all these stupid things." Kensei cocked an eyebrow at Shuuhei, the young man's eyes were splaying as he tried to focus his gaze to Kensei.

"So basically I've done my job too well. What happens when I can't save you?" Shuuhei uttered a short laugh, shaking his head.

"That won't happen. You won't let me die, I know you won't." Kensei's jaw clenched down, he know he should do something about the way the boy was clinging onto him, it wasn't doing either of them any good in the long run. No matter what Kisuke had promised him.

"Don't get too cocky, kid" Kensei muttered, turning away from those sweet eyes. He couldn't look at him and lie straight to his face, Shuuhei was more right than he knew. The scar on his face would always remind Kensei of his shortcomings and his one failure that he would regret till the end of days. The bittersweet feeling of having Shuuhei look at him with such endearment would always be tainted with the pain of being reminded of his misjudgment that almost got Shuuhei killed.

Kensei would taunt himself with thoughts of what if Shuuhei had died, what then? He would've gone back to his old life, the monotone, grey existence he had grown so used to along the years. The thrill that had initially led him to the life of a police officer had been long gone when Shuuhei came into his life and just tore everything to pieces, his identity, his view of the world, his principles, his self- discipline. Kensei didn't even know who he was anymore, but for some reason, it didn't matter. He felt good about himself, about the work he did, he actually felt he could do a difference in this world after all. Being with Shuuhei had made him realize how cynical he had become, how cold and distant just to survive through his day to day live.

Kensei knew in the end he would've probably ended up killing himself, just out of sheer boredom and disappointment, and of course loneliness. He had his friends, and it probably wouldn't have been so bad if he didn't need to live in denial. Having to struggle with himself had just made him cold, and pushed his friends away, they deserved more than he could give them.

Shuuhei finally found his keys and instantly dropped them, and as he leaned down to grab them he almost fell on his face. Kensei was there to catch him, grabbing his arms and pushing him back up to his feet. Shuuhei laughed, looking up at Kensei with his blurry eyes, reaching his hand to touch Kensei's face.

"You're pretty" Shuuhei chuckled as his fingers brushed over the scar on Kensei's brow, "so pretty." Kensei frowned at him, though there was still a smile on his lips. He let Shuuhei move his fingers across his face, tracing the line of nose, down to his lips, along his jawline.

"What?" Kensei finally asked as Shuuhei kept staring at him without saying word, his lips parted.

"I'm waiting" Shuuhei said, his hand now making its way along Kensei's neck to his hair.

"For what?"

"You know." Kensei was going to ask again but shut his mouth, suddenly feeling very scared. He tried to look around them but Shuuhei kept his head in place.

"Look at me" Shuuhei said quietly, no longer sounding drunk, "it's about us, not anyone else." Kensei started to feel panic rising inside him, his instincts telling him to run away, and stay away. _This was a mistake. This is wrong, this is all wrong._ Kensei already shifted back, trying to get away from Shuuhei's touch but the young man didn't let him.

"Kensei, please." The sudden and deep hurt that laced Shuuhei's voice almost broke Kensei's heart right then and there. Their eyes locked and something clicked in Kensei's brain. Finally, something clicked and he was immediately sure what he wanted to do. What he needed to do in order to keep himself sane, to make them both happy. To do the right thing.

Kensei leaned forward and pressed his lips against Shuuhei's. The young man sighed softly against his mouth and let himself sink into the kiss. Kensei's arms wrapped around his body, pulling them together so Kensei could feel Shuuhei's ribs pressing into his chest. _He's so thin, _Kensei thought as he tried to hold Shuuhei gently, the young man's fingers were digging into his scalp. The marred skin on Shuuhei's face scratched against Kensei's cheek, he could taste alcohol on Shuuhei's mouth.

"Thank you" Shuuhei murmured against Kensei's lips, his hands slipping down to his neck, holding him in place again, "thank you." Kensei finally broke the kiss in the need for air, Shuuhei still sucking on his lower lip.

"For what?" Kensei asked, trying desperately to hide the fact how shaken he was.

"For that, stupid" Shuuhei said, a wide smile gracing his features. Kensei was certain he had never seen anything so precious.

"Don't thank me, kid" he replied, even managing a light smile despite his voice was still wavering.

"No, I want to. I need to, I know how…" Shuuhei paused, sighing again, "I know how difficult this is for you. I know I'm asking too much, I've been doing it from the beginning and I have no right to. You have done so much for me and I have given you nothing back. I don't deserve you, not by a long shot, and you don't deserve someone like me. I'm a mess, I'm all over the place, I'm disfigured, for God's sake. So yeah, I need to thank you, for this, for everything you've done to me. So, thank you."

Shuuhei uttered a light laugh as he ended his little speech, staring down at his feet as Kensei looked at him with his mouth hanging ajar.

"Sorry, I'm still drunk, I didn't mean to be so dramatic" Shuuhei tried to brush it off but Kensei cut him off by grabbing his face into his hands and smashing their lips together. Shuuhei let out a surprised moan but then gave into the kiss again, his skinny arms draping around Kensei's hips. Kensei's hand cupped the back of his head, the other one holding Shuuhei's body against his own. Suddenly Shuuhei felt something wet on his face. He opened his eyes and realized that they were tears. _He's…Crying._

"Kensei, are you…" Shuuhei tried to ask, pushing the man back so he could speak but was instantly pulled back into his tight embrace.

"Please" Kensei groaned, barely able to form words, "please, stay. Please."

"I'm not going anywhere, what are you…"

"I can't do this alone. I can't. I need you to stay, I need you. Please, please Shuuhei, I can't…" This time Shuuhei silenced Kensei with a gentle kiss, wiping off his tears.

"Shhh, it's okay, it's okay…" Shuuhei glanced around to check that they were alone, having a stranger witness Kensei's breakdown would be too much.

"Let's go inside, okay?" Kensei still said nothing but loosened his grip on Shuuhei so he could pick up his keys and let them inside.

The apartment was dark, Ulquiorra was already sleeping in his own room. Shuuhei tried to be quiet as he took off his shoes and shook off his coat.

"Let's be quiet, Ulqui will have my ass if we wake him up" he whispered to Kensei, who had gone almost scarily quiet.

"Okay then" Shuuhei said, reaching to grab Kensei's hand, "come on." The man didn't resist, merely followed as Shuuhei led him to his room, their feet shuffling along the wooden floors that creaked slightly under their weight. Shuuhei shut the door behind them, but before he could flick on the lights Kensei's hands grabbed him, pulling him against the man's chest.

"Hey, easy now" Shuuhei said laughingly as Kensei's hands slithered under his shirt, making further words get caught in his throat. Shuuhei had been waiting for this ever since he first laid eyes on Kensei but now it was all so sudden and unexpected he felt himself freeze, even more so as Kensei's lips roamed on his neck up to his jawline.

"Kensei" Shuuhei sighed as Kensei's warm hands brushed over his ribs, his shirt bundling up to his chest. Kensei grabbed the hem and started pulling it off, but Shuuhei gently pulled away and turned around to face him, his face flushed from the sudden attention. He opened his mouth to speak but Kensei stopped him with another needy kiss, the man's strong grip wasn't letting him go. Shuuhei wanted to ask what was wrong, why he had been crying just now, why he was doing all this now. He had kept on eye on Kensei's drinking through the evening and the man hadn't seemed that drunk, and Shuuhei was sure Kensei wasn't the type to lunge on people while drunk. Also, his self-control was so strict it needed to be something very exceptional to make him snap like this, Shuuhei felt like the man was trying to consume him whole. _But if I ask him to stop now, if I deny him now…I can't do that. _

Kensei's hands were now almost tearing off Shuuhei's jeans, assaulting the button and zipper with such force Shuuhei was sure he would just rip them apart.

"Wait, wait, let me" he managed to say, breaking the kiss. Kensei was breathing heavily, his chest heaving. Shuuhei pried his jeans open and Kensei was quick to pull them down, moving to tear his shirt next. Shuuhei could only concentrate on staying still so the man wouldn't accidentally knock him down as he rushed to strip off his clothes. Kensei's hands lingered on Shuuhei's skin as he got rid of the young man's shirt and threw it to the floor. Shuuhei tried to steady his breathing, he noticed he was almost shivering in the sudden coldness of the room. He wrapped his arms around himself, feeling the bones in his arms pinch at his skin.

Kensei was now pulling off his own clothes with the same vigor he had stripped Shuuhei, revealing more of his well-trained body with every garment he discarded. Shuuhei knew the situation should've been exciting for him but he just felt nervous and even scared, Kensei was acting so out of character he wasn't sure how to react. He did feel excitement as Kensei took off his shirt, his muscles flexing in a way that should've made Shuuhei swoon. The sound of Kensei's belt being opened and the chaffing of fabric as his jeans pooled down to his ankles made Shuuhei flinch, he noticed he had almost stopped breathing for a while.

Finally Kensei looked back at him and noticed how the young man was shivering, his eyes widened and lips trembling. Kensei stopped for a second, a familiar frown appearing on his forehead.

"Shuuhei?" he said in such a low tone it was almost hard to hear it, "what is it?"

"I'm…I'm just cold" Shuuhei sputtered, trying to smile, "it's nothing." Kensei stepped closer, their bodies almost touching skin on skin. Kensei reached his hand to grace over Shuuhei's shoulder down to his abdomen.

"You are so thin" he said, sounding worried and apprehensive.

"I know." Kensei wrapped his arm behind Shuuhei's back, pulling the young man against his chest. Shuuhei was still hugging himself, knowing he was acting like a stupid child but couldn't help it. He felt he had bitten off more than he could chew and it scared him shitless. Kensei buried his other hand into Shuuhei's overgrown hair, stroking it with sudden tenderness. Shuuhei closed his eyes and shivered again, his head pressed against Kensei's chest. He listened to the man's heartbeat, it was surprisingly steady considering the situation and how he had just acted.

"Kensei" he finally said, "are you…Okay?"

"Yeah" the man replied, his fingers still raking through Shuuhei's hair, "why?"

"You just…Scared me there, for a while." Kensei was quiet, his hand stopped for a few seconds before sliding down to Shuuhei's neck again.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to."

"No, no, it's…It's fine, I just wasn't expecting that you would…Do something like that." To Shuuhei's surprise Kensei uttered a short laugh, his chest moving with the low sound.

"A man can only take so much, Shuuhei."

"Oh so it's my fault."

"Yes. Completely and utterly." Shuuhei smiled against Kensei's skin, noticing how he wasn't feeling cold anymore. His hands slipped down and snaked around Kensei's hips, even daring to brush over the curve of his ass. Shuuhei almost felt an electric shock course through him upon the touch, he had been wanting to do this for so long that now when he had the chance, he was almost afraid to, fearing it wouldn't live up to his imagination. Kensei's hand moved to his neck and down his back, making Shuuhei's skin tingle. His breath hitched as Kensei's hand stopped on his lower back, waiting for him to continue.

"Shuuhei" the man murmured, "I need to be sure."

"Yeah?" Shuuhei said, swallowing at nothing.

"I need to be sure that you won't run away. Or tell anyone."

"Okay" Shuuhei said, "I promise. If you promise to stay. Even after this is over." Shuuhei didn't see but was sure that Kensei smiled.

"I promise." Shuuhei exhaled heavily, letting himself relax against Kensei's chest.

"Good. Good." There was another silence, filled by their slow breathing and the tension of Kensei's hand hovering on Shuuhei's skin.

"Can I…" Kensei finally asked, making Shuuhei almost laugh out loud. The young man decided to make the first move and firmly grabbed Kensei's ass, making the man almost jump.

"Relax old man" Shuuhei chuckled, kissing Kensei's shoulder, "if you're scared now, wait till you see what comes later." Shuuhei pulled back so he could see Kensei's face and was surprised seeing he was smiling, slightly nervously, but still.

"Do you want to see more?" Shuuhei asked. Kensei stared at him for good few long seconds until his smile widened, revealing his teeth.

"Yeah." Shuuhei felt his knees buckle but managed to gather himself before it showed. Though he was sure Kensei knew.

"Good" he replied and pressed a kiss on Kensei's lips, "good."

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><p><em>Sooo...What did you think? I know there isn't that much action in there but I think it goes along the story. So yeah, Kensei finally snaps out of it, as probably all of you have been waiting for. I'm not sure whether I should do the next chapter continuing straight from here or maybe I'll keep you in suspense and treat you later on. Who knows, I'm fickle. <em>


	19. Chapter 19

_**Oh my pretties, it was so hard to come up with a solution for this chapter. I kinda wanted to give you everything but then again, what's left after that? Well the plot but it has been kinda in the backseat anyway. So here's what I came up with, hope you find it entertaining.**_

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><p><strong>Chapter 19. <strong>

Shuuhei tried not to look too excited as Kensei crawled on top of him on the bed. The man looked somber, his arms were shaking and there was a drop of sweat gliding down the side of his face. Shuuhei took in a deep breath, an anxious smile spreading across his face.

"You still okay?" he asked Kensei, whose eyes were widened and breathing very shallow. Shuuhei chuckled and cupped his face into his hand, reaching up to plant a kiss on his lips.

"I…think so" Kensei said, trying to exhale slowly.

"It's fine, everything's fine" Shuuhei assured him, shifting gently under the man. He was very aware of Kensei's erect cock almost touching his abdomen, wrecking his nerves.

"If you say so" Kensei said in his usual suspicious tone but bent his elbows so his body rested on Shuuhei's, still wary he wasn't crushing the young man with his full weight. Shuuhei was quick to wrap his arms around Kensei's neck, tracing kisses on his face and neck.

"I uh, I'm not really…Familiar with all this" Kensei uttered, swallowing hardly as he tried to think of something to do or say. Every time Shuuhei moved under him he flinched, he hadn't felt this awkward since his teenage years.

"I know, it's okay" Shuuhei comforted him, pushing up on his elbows, making Kensei pull back to lean on his calves. Shuuhei ran his hands up Kensei's arms, feeling the muscles that coiled under his hardened skin.

"Relax, I know how this should go" he said, sliding his fingers over the plates of Kensei's chest, seeing the man's skin raise to goosepumps, "just...Go with it." Kensei scoffed lightly and even managed to raise an eyebrow at Shuuhei, earning a wider smile.

"I'm not sure if that's the smartest way to go" he said. Shuuhei laughed and pressed his forehead against Kensei's chest, the man could see the young man's spine curve against his skin.

"Okay, maybe you're right. Just…Don't panic, it's gonna be fine. You'll feel great, I promise."

"I know." Shuuhei almost blushed at the trusting tone of Kensei's voice, it made him even more nervous. _If I screw this up now, I just might scar him for life. Steady now…._

"You're sure about this?" he asked still, not wanting to be thrown out of bed in the middle of things if Kensei did get cold feet. The man nodded, slowly and solemnly as if Shuuhei had asked him something of a much greater magnitude. _But I guess to him it is that kind of a thing. No pressure then. _Shuuhei leaned forward to kiss Kensei, thinking it would be best to start off easy. The man responded eagerly and wrapped his arm around Shuuhei's waist, pressing their upper bodies together. Again Shuuhei felt almost engulfed in the warmth of Kensei's skin, already slightly slick from sweat. Kensei was holding up Shuuhei's whole weight on his one arm, making him feel weightless. He slowly moved his hands along Kensei's thighs, enjoying the feel of his hot skin under his hands and then up to the man's hips, his thumbs brushing over the hip bones.

Kensei's tongue prodded his mouth open, sliding against the roof of his mouth and along his tongue. Shuuhei moaned softly and moved his hands down to Kensei's groin, wrapping his fingers around Kensei's hard cock. Kensei suddenly pulled his head back and Shuuhei stopped. Kensei stared at him, biting on his lower lip.

"Is everything..." Shuuhei started but Kensei shook his head.

"Don't stop" he managed to groan and Shuuhei understood, smiling as he started to move his hands slowly and watched Kensei's expression change from anxious and nervous to something blissful. The man closed his eyes and leaned his head forward, pressing his forehead against Shuuhei's. Shuuhei could feel the man's breath on his skin and Kensei's hand moved up to his neck, his fingers burying into Shuuhei's hair. Shuuhei picked up his pace a little, just to see how Kensei would react and almost winced as the man pulled his hair but immediately loosened his grip, even murmuring a low 'sorry'. Shuuhei responded with a kiss, sucking on Kensei's lower lip. His hands moved steadily, he wanted to move slowly but also show Kensei how good it could be. Though Shuuhei doubted Kensei would last very long, but they had time now, they had all night.

Shuuhei pulled slowly back and was just about to shuffle down on the bed to show Kensei more of what all they could do when they heard the sound of glass being smashed. Kensei froze and pressed his hands on Shuuhei's shoulders, pushing him back on the bed. Shuuhei blinked slowly, trying to understand what was happening. The atmosphere had changed so fast he could almost feel it physically wash over him like a wave of nausea. Even Kensei looked different, his face was suddenly fixed into its usual stern expression, his mouth a tight line and eyes keen, all his muscles tense and ready to spring into action. It looked as if everything that had happened in the past hours never was.

"Stay here" Kenseii told him, sliding from the bed and grabbing his coat that was thrown on the floor. Shuuhei scrambled up and saw Kensei take a gun out of his breast pocket, and for a second felt stupid for even doubting he'd be carrying one with him. Kensei pressed his ear against the door, listening for any sounds from the apartment. Shuuhei felt his pulse race, his heartbeat was thumping loudly in his ears and his hands were shaking. Then even he could hear footsteps outside the room, walking around the apartment.

"Holy shit" Shuuhei gasped and then remembered Ulquiorra was in his room too. Kensei was still pressed against the door, the gun held firmly in his hand. Shuuhei noticed he was now barely breathing, his nerves were shot. He had been in similar potentially life-threatening situations before but never in his own home. It felt like a violation, foul play, as if some imaginary line had been crossed and Shuuhei had no idea what was behind it.

Kensei on the other hand seemed calm and focused and his composure managed to calm Shuuhei down too. He made a move to get off the bed but Kensei immediately raised his hand to him and he stopped. Kensei threw a quick look at him and Shuuhei could understand what the man wanted of him. _Stay here, stay safe. _Shuuhei stayed in his place as he heard the footsteps coming closer. Kensei's muscles were tense, his expression grim and determined.

Then, to Shuuhei's horror, he could hear the intruders opening the door to Ulquiorra's room.

"No!" he choked back, managing to slap his hand over his mouth before any sound came out. Kensei pressed the door handle down and swung it open, raising his weapon in the air.

"What the..." was all Shuuhei heard before the loudest sound in the world made him go deaf for seconds. The smell of gun powder filled the small room and all he could see was Kensei's naked body in the doorway in the brief light of the gun fire. He could hear screams as if they were coming from inside a closed room, voices muffled as the ringing in his ears distorted everything. Then, as quick as it had started, it was over and Kensei was gone, leaving Shuuhei alone on the bed in the dark room.

Shuuhei didn't know how much time passed until Kensei came back, unloading his gun and putting the safety back on. He walked to Shuuhei, quickly wrapping the blanket around his bony shoulders and smoothed down his hair.

"It's okay, it's over" he seemed to say but Shuuhei's hearing was still distorting everything. Suddenly Shuuhei spotted movement at the door and he almost bolted, but Kensei kept him down. Then Shuuhei recognised Ikkaku's familiar form, the bald man nodded to him solemnly and the young man noticed blood spattered on his face, a bloody sword was swung over his shoulder.

"Wh-what" Shuuhei finally sputtered, "what happened, who..."

"Some thugs, sent by the mafia apparently" Kensei said, his hands smelled of gunpowder as he kept stroking Shuuhei's hair, "Ikkaku and Yumi were keeping watch, they stopped few of them before they made it inside but some sneaked in when they were busy. Ulquiorra is fine, bit startled" Kensei paused to think here of Shuuhei's stoic roommate's actual reaction, "I think." Shuuhei managed a small laugh thinking of how Ulquiorra would regard gunmen raiding his apartment as nothing more than a nuisance. As if summoned by thought, the morose young man was in his doorway, looking like a small child dragged out of bed in the middle of the night in his slightly too big pajamas and messy hair. Shuuhei looked down and noticed the bloody footprints on the floor, feeling a shudder run through him. Ulquiorra said nothing and then walked away after apparently making sure Shuuhei was still alive and being looked after.

"How...How many were they? How did find us?" Kensei looked so serious it was almost grim, Shuuhei felt scared looking straight into his eyes.

"All together a dozen. Most likely they followed us from the bar, but luckily they didn't seem to know of Yumi and Ikkaku, that probably saved us all." Kensei rose up and walked to his clothes, starting to dress.

"We need to get you both out of here, right now. I'll call the police as soon as you're both safe."

"Where are we going to go?" Shuuhei asked, rising to his feet but still gripping tightly on the blanket, "They know where you live, they know where I live, where can I go?"

"To our place" sounded Yumichika's voice from the door. The man was also holding a bloodstained sword in his hand, he was wiping the blade on a rag that was already red. There were also spots of blood on his face, though his immaculate hair was still perfectly in place.

"We are near untraceable, and we can defend ourselves better there than in anywhere else in this city. You can stay there until this is over." Yumichika slid his sword back into its sheath that hung from his hips and looked up at Kensei who was just buckling his belt.

"And by the looks of things, that shouldn't be too long." Ikkaku emerged at Yumichika's side, his weapon still swung on his shoulder.

"All clear" he said, glancing at Shuuhei who was standing in the darkened room with only a blanket covering himself, "you okay, Shuu?" The young man nodded and as Kensei pulled his shirt on he was right back at Shuuhei's side, his hand on Shuuhei's shoulder.

"We need to leave now" he said in a low tone, trying his best to sound soothing, "pack only what you need, and don't look around when you go out." Shuuhei only had to take one more look at the bloody duo at his door to understand why.

"Okay" he said, "but what about you?" Kensei didn't respond, his eyes were fixed somewhere above Shuuhei's head.

"I'll deal with this first" he finally said but Shuuhei could already tell the man was planning on an attack of his own.

"Kensei, don't do anything stupid. Promise me" the young man tried to say but it was clear Kensei was deaf to any logical arguments at this point. Only now Shuuhei noticed the blood that stained his hands too, the pugnant smell was making his stomach turn.

"You need to pack" Kensei repeated, removing his hands from the young man, seemingly unaware of the rusty blotches on his skin, "hurry up." Yumichika was already stuffing Shuuhei's clothes into a small packbag and his bag containing his notes was slung over the man's shoulder. Yumichika kicked the clothes Shuuhei had stripped to the floor towards the bed, the young man only noticed how different Yumichika looked from his usual laidback self..

"We don't have much time before the cops come, get a move on." Shuuhei felt as if he was in a trance as he picked up his jeans from the floor and struggled to get into them. He could Kensei's voice from the living room, talking lowly into a phone informing the police of the incident. Shuuhei froze again as he heard the man describe the scene and a sudden feel of disgust made his body freeze. He didn't even at first notice when Ulquiorra came to the room and took over from Yumichika, pushing the man aside and walked to the bed where Shuuhei was shivering quietly. Ulquiorra knelt down and pulled Shuuhei's jeans up, proceeding to help him put his shirt on. Shuuhei obliged to every move, his eyes staring blankly ahead. Ulquiorra hadn't yet wiped the blood from his feet, he had left faint marks across the room's floor. When Shuuhei was dressed, he rose up and stared at his roommate for a good while, waiting for him to move. As he stayed put, Ulquiorra rolled his eyes towards the ceiling and shook Shuuhei by the shoulder.

"Get up, we need to go. You can do your moping and acting traumatized later." Yumichika frowned and was about to step in when Ikkaku stopped him.

"The kid's smart. Let him do the talking" Ikkaku advised him, and Yumichika did as he was told, though with a small huff and sneer.

"Don't come crying to me when little Shuu needs years of therapy" the man said as he walked out of the room, carrying Shuuhei's belongings. Ikkaku stayed behind and watched as whatever Ulquiorra was saying to Shuuhei seemed to work, and the young man got up to his feet and looked at him, some life finally shining in his eyes.

"Best get going, eh?" he asked, trying to smile at Ikkaku.

"Yeah, the cops are coming already" he said, finally sheathing his sword, "let's go out from the back." Both Ulquiorra and Shuuhei raised their eyebrows.

"We don't have a backdoor" Ulquiorra pointed out, Ikkaku smirked back at him.

"You do now, courtesy of our little thugs here." Shuuhei shivered at the thought, Ulquiorra just looked annoyed.

"Fixing this mess will cost us our whole safety deposit." Ikkaku laughed, shaking his head.

"You should be glad losing your safety deposit is your biggest worry. You weren't that far from losing your head."

"Whatever, let's leave already" Ulquiorra said and stomped out of the room, earning another amused look from Ikkaku.

"Your friend doesn't scare easily, does he?" Shuuhei smiled faintly, scratching the back of his head.

"Looks like it. I don't know that much about his past, maybe he's used to this kind of stuff."

"Let's hope you don't have to get used to this too" Ikkaku said and nodded to the door, "let's get you both out of here."

* * *

><p>Kisuke was fast asleep, enjoying a lovely dream where he was neandering around the corridors of the town hall, when the sharp ringing of his cellphone pulled him back to the real world. First he just groaned and turned to his side, his hand clasping the pillow over his head. The incessant ringing didn't take the hint, and kept on going until Kisuke threw his pillow to the wall and got up, clambering for his phone from the night table. Not even looking at the number of the caller, he answered.<p>

"Mmm-ello?"

"Kisuke, we have a problem. A huge, gigantic problem." Kisuke managed to open his eyes as Shinji's frantic noise drilled into his ear.

"Hey hey, slow down, I can't understand a word you're saying" the man said, "repeat that bit about the problem we're apparently having." Shinji sighed heavily at the other end of the line, trying to rearrange his thoughts so that Kisuke would understand them.

"Alright, I just got a call from Yumi, the mafia has now attacked Shuuhei's place, and this time they meant business. In short, we've got a dozen dead thugs in our hands, two young boys who need protection and shelter, and one hell of a pissed off Kensei to deal with." Kisuke slowly sat up on the bed, his brain finally starting up.

"Ok, ok, so what's the plan right now?"

"Yumi said the boys can stay at their place till this blows over, the thugs didn't seem to know about them, yet" Shinji said, "Kensei will deal with the bodies, explaining it to the police somehow that leaves out the fact that there were two men armed with swords at the scene. And that he was there because he was getting busy with his young lover." Kisuke's eyes widened and then he smiled widely at the wall he was facing.

"Looks like my little talk worked" he said, "how's Shuuhei, is he wounded?"

"No, they're all alright, bit shaken I'd say but bodily unharmed. We got lucky."

"Sounds like it. So crisis is evaded for now, what's our next move?"

"I'd say trying to stop Kensei from going ape shit and attacking the mobs guns blazing" Shinji said, "from what I heard from Yumi, he's pretty fucking mad right now."

"I'd be mad too if I were him, that's the ultimate cockblock experience" Kisuke replied, feeling actually sorry for the man. _He just can't catch a break, can he now?_

"Alright, where are they all now? At Yumi's?" he asked as he got up from the bed and started to look around for something to put on.

"Yeah, I guess they've made it there by now...I'm outside the apartment just now, the cops are searching the place. Kensei's still there, handling the whole shitstorm."

"Good, I'm going to see our boys, let's see if we can hatch up a plan together, something that won't involve Kensei getting himself killed like an idiot" Kisuke said, "keep an eye on him, and meet me at Yumi'swhen they're done."

"Roger that. Stay safe, Kisuke."

"I don't need to when you're around." Kisuke smiled as he heard Shinji sigh again just before ending the call. He quickly got dressed in an already crinkled suit before heading out of the door, trying put his shoes on as he walked. Within few minutes he was already out of the door, but then quickly slipped back inside to get his keys. Jingling the said item in his hand he rushed down the street, his head buzzing with possible plans what to do next. For some reason he felt excited, something big was coming to an end and Kisuke had a feeling it would be extraordinary to witness. He had no intentions of watching from the sidelines anymore, it was finally time for action.

* * *

><p><em>Awww, cockblocked! Damn writers…Sorry guys, had to save something for the happy endin<em>_g. I was almost scared to post this at first but then I thought well, it's still my story and I can only hope you like it even without the smexy sex. __I almost feel like a prude now. __Until next time, peeps._


	20. Chapter 20

_**I think it's fair to say we're slowly coming to an end. Not yet, but few chapters away. I already have another(!) Shuuhei&Kensei story on my mind, so the fascination with these two doesn't end here, so if you're a fan like me no need to worry. I just need to wrap at least one story up before starting yet another, this is starting to get out of hand.**_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 20. <strong>

The moon was high up in the sky as Yumichika came back to their hideout. He had been on patrol to see if anyone had followed them back from Shuuhei's apartment. He opened the heavy door with his keys, making sure to open all three locks. As he stepped inside, the rooms were dark besides a small candle burning on the table. Ikkaku was standing by the window, keeping watch as Shuuhei and Ulquiorra sat at the table.

"Sorry to crash the party" Yumichika said as he locked the door behind him, "how's everyone doing?"

"Bored" Ulquiorra was first to point out.

"We're fine" Shuuhei corrected, "did you see Kensei?"

"Nope, the apartment was being raided by the cops, I didn't see him around. He probably went back to the force to find a way to explain this all" Yumichika said as he took off his sword, placing it leaning against the wall.

"Yeah, I figured" Shuuhei said, wringing his hands on the table, "do you have any idea when he might come back?"

"If he does" Ikkaku noted from the window, "I'd feel better if one of us went after him, just to make sure he doesn't go apeshit." Shuuhei turned to look at Ikkaku, a deep frown on his face.

"He wouldn't do something like that" he said, then with slightly less conviction turned back to Yumichika, "would he?" The man barely had time to shrug when there was a knock on the door.

"Maybe that's him" he said as he turned to door, "friend or foe?" There was a light laughter from the other side of the door and Shuuhei's shoulders sagged, it definitely wasn't Kensei.

"That's a pretty weak way to manage your security" a familiar voice said, "but let's go with friend."

"It's Kisuke" Ikkaku said, "let him in." After unlocking all three locks again Yumichika opened the door, revealing the tired-looking politician wearing a wrinkled suit and his hair sticking up like he had been been electrocuted.

"Hello everyone" Kisuke greeted them as he stumbled into the apartment, Yumichika quickly checked if anyone had followed him and then locked the door again, "how are we doing tonight?"

"How'd you expect?" Ikkaku scoffed and squinted into the darkness, "me and Yumi are just happy to have something to do but these kids here..."

"We're fine" Shuuhei was quick to say again, standing up from his chair, "did you see Kensei when you came here?" Kisuke shrugged, despite his rugged appearance he didn't look confused and lost like the others. In fact, his eyes were shining keenly and he almost looked like he was excited. Shuuhei wasn't sure what to make of this. _Then again, why should I be surprised? He's getting closer to what he wants. _

"Sorry, I didn't. I didn't actually see anybody around here, you've picked a good hiding place" the man said as he strolled around the small apartment, "very cozy." Ikkaku raised his eyebrows, two mostly barren rooms littered with weapons of every possible kind wasn't exactly what one would usually call cozy.

"Thanks" Ikkaku said, "so, I suppose you've heard everything about what happened, now what's the plan?" Kisuke turned around to face them, his hands clasped together behind his back.

"Well, I'd say there are few possible ways of action we could consider" he said, rocking on his heels, "but I'd think the first priority is to get in contact with Kensei and make sure he doesn't go rogue."

"We've tried calling him, no answer" Ikkaku said, "not even to our Boy Wonder here." Shuuhei didn't bother to argue right now, there were far more important things to think about than stupid nicknames. Though he make a mental note of getting back at Ikkaku with a witty comment about his lack of hair. Kisuke scratched his head, ruffling his own unruly hair.

"Well, I have to give Shinji a call, he said he'd keep an eye on him" he said, smoothing down the front of his suit, "and even if Kensei tries to go Rambo, I trust Shinji is more than capable of stopping him." Yumichika and Ikkaku exchanged incredulous glances, they only knew Shinji had contacts in the underground circles but nothing more. Still, he didn't look like someone who could take on a brute like Kensei, especially if he didn't want to be stopped.

"Alright, so if we can count on him to look after Kensei for the moment, maybe we should start making a plan" Ikkaku said, "I doubt the mobs will be pleased once they hear we offed six of their men. And foiled their plan to keep this thing under the wraps."

"They're getting desperate" Yumichika added.

"Yes, this might be the straw that breaks the camel's back" Kisuke admitted as he sat down next to Ulquiorra, the young man didn't seem surprised by this sudden plotting of revenge. Kisuke glanced at him as if he only now realized his presence.

"Hello, I'm Kisuke Urahara, pleasured to make the acquaintance" he said to Ulquiorra, who gave him a bored look in return.

"He's my roommate, he was there when the attack happened" Shuuhei explained as Ulquiorra kept quiet.

"Oh, I see, interesting" Kisuke said and nodded slowly as he kept eyeing Ulquiorra, "my pleasure."

"It is" Ulquiorra finally replied, turning his head away.

"Right" Kisuke uttered, "so, any ideas?"

"First we'd need to know where these guys are, when they're not trying to kill people" Yumichika said, "and we need to get to the big bosses. There's no point going after the little fishes anymore."

"That should be easier said than done" Ikkaku huffed, "we've been trying to track these guys for weeks, but they either don't meet anywhere and communicate in other ways, or they go underground. Whatever it is, they're good."

"I know where they meet" Shuuhei suddenly said, "I know where they are." Kisuke, Ikkaku and Yumichika leaned towards Shuuhei hearing this revelation.

"And you know this, how?" Yumichika asked with a raised eyebrow. Shuuhei gave him a grim look.

"After they attacked Kensei's house, I've been after them day and night. Finally, last night, I found them." The tense atmosphere suddenly changed as Kisuke's cellphone started ringing in his pocket.

"Ah, excuse me" he said as he grabbed his phone and answered it, "hello?"

"Hey, it's me. Kensei left the station and is heading...Somewhere. What do you want me to do?" Kisuke put on the speaker and placed the phone on the table.

"I'm at Yumi's right now, hatching a plan. Apparently our young reporter here knows where these little criminals meet." There a was slightly impressed noise made by Shinji at this.

"Oh really? Interesting, I thought his nightly shenanigans might add up to something before long." Shuuhei flinched at Shinji's words, he had been sure no one had noticed him.

"Have you been following me?" The man laughed lightly on the phone, Kisuke could picture the smug look he had on his face right now.

"Someone had to, there's no telling what your crazy ass might do to protect your little man in blue." The young man lowered his head to hide his embarrassment, this was getting bit too obvious.

"Alright, so you're saying I need to stop this madman and drag him to Yumi's so we can all plot together for revenge? Sounds easy enough."

"If you could, that would be great" Kisuke said, "we'll wait here, just try not to hurt him." Shuuhei raised an eyebrow at the warning, he too couldn't imagine Shinji being able to even hold his own against Kensei, whose proficiency at violence at been proven many times already. Kisuke seemed to notice their disbelief as he hang up the phone and smiled politely at them.

"Don't worry, Kensei will live. Shinji can be surprisingly gentle when he wants to."

* * *

><p>The said man was sitting in his car, tapping off ashed of his fifth cigarette of the night. Stress always amplified his bad habit, but he figured this was considered pretty minute compared to his old ways. The night radio was playing some classic from the sixties, Shinji drummed his fingers to the beat as he stared at the police station across the streets. His eyes kept trying to slide shut but he had to try keep awake. As Kensei walked closer to him, Shinji wound down his window to catch the man's attention.<p>

"Oi, big man!" As Shinji had anticipated, Kensei ignored his shouting. The man rolled his eyes, he would much rather be at home in his own bed than running after this imbecile. And it seemed it was going to start raining too. _Perfect night for a massacre, isn't it just. _Shinji revved up the motor of his car and set out after Kensei, who was stomping down the street. Shinji slowed down next to him, realizing how suspicious this might look to an outsider.

"Hey, you hear me, you idiot?" Finally Kensei turned to look at Shinji, and the man felt a shiver run through his spine as he saw the look in Kensei's eyes, there were almost black and Shinji could sense that nothing good would come from this man, at least not tonight.

"You wanna ride?" he said to him, nodding at the passenger's seat.

"What are you doing here?" Kensei asked him, signalling he had no intention stepping into the car.

"Kisuke sent me to make sure you don't go after those bastards alone" Shinji saw no point in trying to lie to Kensei at this point, "so, if you don't wanna get killed, get in." Kensei glared at him from under his furrowed brows, but apparently there was still some sense left in him as he opened the car door and hopped into the passenger's seat.

"Great" Shinji said as he revved up the engine again, "I was afraid you would make me hurt you." The man gave him a curious look, measuring Shinji up with his eyes. The blonde chuckled as the car rolled down the street.

"Don't judge a book by its cover, Kensei. You should know that." Kensei said nothing but stopped his staring and settled for looking out of the window. The DJ had apparently changed on the radio as the next song played was a gangsta rap song which made Shinji nod his head to the beat. Kensei's ever-present frown deepened again as his eyes darted between the radio and Shinji.

"What?" the man finally asked as Kensei's looks started to almost burn.

"You like this?" Shinji could sense the word Kensei had left out and grinned.

"It's got hell of a beat, you have to at least admit that." Shinji whistled along the song as they rolled into a stop at a red light. Kensei looked around at the empty intersection.

"Why don't you just go?" Shinji laughed out loud this time.

"With a police sergeant on my front seat? No fucking way." The man's face turned into a sly expression and he gave Kensei a wink.

"Unless you will give me your law enforcer's permission to drive recklessly." Kensei scoffed and swatted his hand.

"Just get a move on, we haven't got all night." Shinji's eyes lighted up before he stomped on the gas.

"As you wish, sir." The engine howled as the car shot out from the intersection, making Kensei fall back on his seat. Shinji made the gearbox moan as he raced across the empty streets, turning corners with the wheels squealing loudly. Shinji threw a quick look at Kensei and was slightly disappointed seeing the man leaning casually against the door with his elbow, looking almost bored. The speedometer was steadily nearing at sixty miles per hour. Kensei was actually hiding his smile, leaning his chin on his palm. He found it amusing that Shinji was trying to scare him like this, or whatever his aim was.

"Whoops" Shinji suddenly said and Kensei noticed the flashing lights from the rear view mirror. Shinji made a move to change into a smaller gear but Kensei stopped him.

"Can you lose them?" Shinji stared at Kensei with a blank expression for few seconds before his face split into a huge smile.

"I thought you'd never ask" the blonde said and instead of changing gear he turned the wheel so sharply the back-end of the car slid down the road, almost making them crash into a nearby wall. The police car sped up after them, closing in frighteningly fast.

"Gotta make a distraction" Shinji said to Kensei, "hold on." They turned to a main road with four lanes and headed for another large intersection. Shinji drove the car straight through the intersection, but then suddenly pulled the handbrake and made the vehicle turn 180 degrees so they were facing the cop car chasing them.

"I'd cover my face if I were you" Shinji said but Kensei had already slid down on his seat. The police car had squealed into a sudden halt to avoid crashing into them and Shinji stomped his foot on the gas again, now speeding right past them back to the direction they had come from.

"Nice one" Kensei muttered with his chin pressed against his chest. Shinji thanked him with a low chuckle as he spun the wheel to the right, yet again making the tires whine under the pressure. The back-end tried to spin them around but Shinji kept it under control, if only just. Kensei had risen slightly so he could catch a glimpse of the side mirror, the flashing lights were now far behind them.

"Just gonna do a little detour, to be sure" Shinji told him as he turned to the right and then flicked off all the lights of the car. The street was barely lit but Shinji didn't bother slowing down, the car skipping from shadow to shadow between the dim streetlights.

"You've done this before" Kensei noted to him, but there was no trace of accusation in his voice.

"Does that really surprise you at this point?" Shinji asked smilingly, keeping his eyes on the road.

"It wasn't a question, it was a statement."Kensei's serious tone made Shinji chuckle again.

"Oh, scary mister policeman" Shinji mocked him lightly, "you know you don't have to talk like that, we're all friends here."

"Are we?"

"Well, they say the enemy of my enemy is my friend, don't they? Might as well have some extra hands to help out." Kensei was quiet for a moment, then turned back to the window.

"Guess you're right."

"I know I am." Shinji waited for Kensei's retort that never came and soon they were nearing their destination. Shinji slowed down once they were on the right street.

"Alright, you go ahead, I'll hide this somewhere. Don't shoot me when I come knocking, okay?" Kensei scoffed as he got out of the car and slammed the door shut behind him. Shinji shook his head before driving off into the darkness, leaving Kensei standing on the street just a block away from Yumichika and Ikkaku's hideout. Kensei pulled his shoulders up and braced himself against the cold air, heading quietly towards the apartment.

* * *

><p>"He's coming" Ikkaku told the other from his vantage point at the window. Shuuhei almost jumped up from his chair but managed to hold himself back. Ulquiorra was doing a tour around the place and was currently going through Yumi's and Ikkaku's selection of weapons. Yumichika and Kisuke were drinking tea that the young politician had spiked with some whiskey he kept at his person at all times.<p>

"Is Shinji there with him?" Kisuke asked as he emptied his cup and motioned for Yumichika to pour him more.

"He went to park the car" Ikkaku guessed with a shrug, "alright, he's coming up the stairs, try not to look too excited." Shuuhei threw a glare at the bald man who grinned at him wickedly and even gave him a wink. Before long they could hear heavy footsteps coming towards them and then a knock on the door. Ikkaku went to open the door though Shuuhei was going to do it.

"Just to be safe" Ikkaku mouthed to him as he leaned against the door frame, "friend or foe?" He could hear Kensei's frustrated growl hearing the question.

"What kind of a dumbass question is that? Let me in already."

"It's him alright" Kisuke chuckled as he filled his cup with whiskey again, offering some to Yumichika as well. Ikkaku undid all the security chains and opened the door, letting Kensei burst in. The man shut the door immediately behind him before Ikkaku had a chance to do and just stepped back, sensing Kensei was going on overdrive already.

"Evening Kensei. Good to see you are bearing well" Kisuke greeted him, receiving only harsh looks in return.

"You know where they are?" Kensei instead asked, turning to Shuuhei who was slightly put off by the man's cold tone.

"Yeah, I think so. I've been..."

"How?"

"If you'd listen, you'd know" Shuuhei snapped, frowning at Kensei's behavior, "I was going to say I've been following them while you were recovering."

"You told me you were looking at the drug deals and gathering evidence."

"I was, but then I figured I might as well try to do something that might actually do some good, since there is no guarantee anyone will prosecute the mobs even with all the evidence I got. So I followed them and finally they went to the docks, always in the same warehouse and left without the goods. I haven't had time to figure out how to get inside, but..."

"When were you planning on telling me about this?" Kensei interrupted again, looking like the sign of a storm. Shuuhei sighed and rubbed his eyes, he should've guessed this would be the reaction he'd get.

"There was no time, you were sick, then working, then there was tonight..." Shuuhei pause just to see if the mention of the night's events had any visible effect on Kensei. The man's stoic face didn't flinch and Shuuhei felt deflated, but continued nevertheless.

"I would've told you when you were fit enough to work again, which you're still not. But now you know, so we can hatch a plan and wait for the right opportunity..."

"No more waiting" Kensei declared, "this ends now. I've had enough of this messing about with these immoral bastards. Besides, judging by their actions, we don't have the time to wait." Shuuhei sighed again and pressed his face into his hands, burying his fingers into his hair.

"Kensei, do you realize what you're even saying?" he said with a desperate tone, trying to reason with the man, "there's no way we can figure out a plan and act on it now, we need more time."

"We don't have time. The mobsters probably already know about tonight's failure and they won't waste time coming after us. We need to strike now when they're still reassembling and thinking their own strategy." Kensei looked around the room for supporters. Ikkaku and Yumichika exchanged quick glances and nodded in unison.

"We're ready, just say the word" Ikkaku said with a shrug, "we'll do whatever you say."

"Thank you Ikkaku" Shuuhei said, giving his old friend a soft look, "you have already done more than enough for us."

"Don't mention it, this is all just fun for us" the man replied and winked at his partner, who raised his eyebrows in return.

"Alright, now Kensei, sit with us so we can put our heads together and get going as soon as possible" Kisuke told the man and motioned for him to sit down at the table. The man resisted at first but then realized his legs were slightly shaking as the adrenaline that had kept him going was slowly wearing out. He sat down next to Shuuhei and instinctively grabbed the young man's hand into his own under the table, squeezing it tightly. Shuuhei stared down at their hands and realized this was Kensei's way of saying he was sorry. He squeezed Kensei's hand back, and noticed the lines on his face relaxing a little. He could understand the man's behavior, his over-protectiveness was getting hold of him again.

"Where's your friend?" Ulquiorra suddenly asked Kisuke, turning to stare at the man with his piercing green eyes from the door. Kisuke frowned at the question and then realized that Shinji still hadn't come back.

"He should be back by now" Yumichika noted, "just parking a car shouldn't take this long." Before anyone said another word Ikkaku had stormed out of the door, grabbing his sword into his hand as he went. Kensei made a move to follow him but Yumichika stopped him.

"It's better for him to go alone, if someone is out there they might recognize you." Kensei sat back down, Shuuhei was quick to place his hand on the man's shoulder.

"I should've waited for him" Kensei said with a tone laced with regret and anger.

"It would've been too dangerous, we can't tell if they followed you somehow. Or us, or Kisuke. These guys aren't playing around anymore" Yumichika said. Shuuhei glanced at Kisuke, who was staring at the closed door, his face and eyes were suddenly blank of emotion.

"He's fine, he's probably just having a smoke or something" Shuuhei tried to tell him but there was no reaction from him. They all waited in silence until they could hear footsteps coming up the stairs and then banging on the door. Yumichika didn't have time to even get up as Kisuke was at the door, wrenching it open. But instead of Shinji, he was greeted by the sight of Ikkaku holding a young girl in his steel grip. Kensei immediately recognized the girl and with few long steps was at the door, releasing her from Ikkaku's grasp.

"Soi-Fon, what are you doing here?" he asked with a surprisingly soft voice, the girl looked shook and scared.

"She was hiding in the nearby alleyway, counting money. Looked suspicious enough to me, and she tried to run away" Ikkaku explained.

"I'm sorry" the girl managed to utter, not daring to look up at Kensei, "I'm sorry, they made me do it..."

"What? What did you do?" Kisuke demanded, trying to grab the girl by the collar but Kensei stopped him.

"Let her talk" he said, crouching down to her level, "it's okay now, just breathe." Soi-Fon shivered, her clothes were torn and she had lost weight since the last time Kensei had seen her.

"They made me do it...They would've killed him" she said, her voice shaking, "I had no choice..."

"Made you do what? Did they take Shinji?" Kisuke asked again, his patience was clearly at its end. Soi-Fon nodded listlessly, making Kisuke almost stumble backwards. Yumichika grabbed his sword and was about to run out when Kensei stopped him.

"They're long gone by now, our best chance is to head out straight to their HQ" he said, turning to look at Shuuhei, "you still know where it is?" The young man nodded, getting up from his chair to get ready to leave. To his surprise Ulquiorra followed in suit.

"Ulqui, you can stay here. You have no part in this to begin with." Shuuhei's roommate gave him a long look and for the first time in a long time there was something else in his eyes besides bored disinterest.

"These men came to my house with the intent to kill both of us and you think I would let them get away with it?" Ulquiorra said, "You obviously don't know me very well, Shuuhei."

"Clearly I don't."

"Can either of you use a gun or a weapon?" Yumichika asked the young men, "Sorry, but we can't spend time watching after you when things get hairy." Without saying a word Shuuhei pulled out a knife from his sleeve and Ulquiorra pulled up his shirt, revealing a gun pushed down the front of his trousers. Yumichika raised an eyebrow at this but nodded in approval.

"Alright, I'm convinced."

"Let's get going, there might be even less time than we expected" Kensei said. He gently pushed Soi-Fon to the side, the girl was still in shock.

"You can wait here, it's a safe place. Don't go out alone." Soi-Fon grabbed Kensei's arm, pulling the man closer.

"Save him" she whispered to him so others couldn't hear, "please." Kensei patted Soi-Fon's head in a clumsy but gentle way, trying to comfort her.

"I'll do my best, I promise." Shuuhei watched the exchange quietly from the side, he knew that it was more than likely that Soi-Fon's brother was already dead. If the mobsters were getting ready to finish things, they would probably kill off everyone who knew something about them. But he figured that was not what Soi-Fon wanted to hear right now.

"Let's get going" Yumichika said, strapping more weapons to his belt. Ikkaku was standing beside him and in passing touched his hand. Kisuke's face was blank again, his eyes staring into nothing but his hands were balled into tight fists to stop them from shaking. By Shuuhei's side Ulquiorra seemed calm as ever, though the fact that he had at some point possessed a gun concerned Shuuhei to some extent. But like he had told Kensei, he barely knew anything about the young man, especially about his past. And judging by his current actions, maybe it was best not to know.

"You ready?" Kensei asked them. Ulquiorra didn't respond, just strutted past the man and out of the apartment following Ikkaku and Yumichika.

"Kisuke?" The politician seemed to snap out of his own thoughts and nodded absently, walking out the door just behind Ulquiorra. Shuuhei moved to follow him but was stopped by Kensei as the man grabbed his arm.

"Shuuhei" the man started, "you know I would rather have you stay out of this." Shuuhei opened his mouth to protest but Kensei silenced him with one look.

"But I know that would be just wasting time" he continued with a slight crooked smile, "so just stay close to me." Shuuhei didn't say anything, instead he leaned closer and pressed a kiss on Kensei's lips. To his surprise, the man kissed him back, and even wrapped his arm around Shuuhei's waist to keep him close.

"Promise me" Kensei said as they broke the kiss, knowing the others were already waiting.

"I promise" Shuuhei replied, quickly brushing his hand against Kensei's face, "just promise me you won't get hurt." The man raised an eyebrow at him and Shuuhei knew it was a stupid request, but he needed to hear it.

"I will try my best. Now, let's go, it's time to end this."


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21. **

Shuuhei felt his hands sweat as they walked out of the apartment, everyone had gone quiet and serious which only added to his feeling of dread. When even someone like Kisuke abandoned his usual laidback attitude things were going badly. Kensei walked ahead of him, moving with conviction like a disciplined soldier. Shuuhei was increasingly aware of the weight of his knife, it felt heavier than usual. He had started carrying it with him ever since almost losing his eyes, deciding it would be better if he had even a small chance of being able to fight back if something like that happened again. He had trained in martial arts when he was younger and had picked it up again, practicing his knife throwing skills on his nightly stake-outs. Even with his impaired vision, he was pretty crafty. Kensei turned to look at him over his shoulder, eyebrow raised in question.

"Where did you get that?" he asked, glancing at Shuuhei's sleeve where the knife was hidden.

"I've had it for some time" Shuuhei said, flexing his arm to feel the knife stay in its holster, "I used to practice when I was younger."

"So you know how to use it?" Shuuhei knew Kensei was just making sure he wouldn't start lashing out randomly if someone attacked him, but it felt as if the man was underestimating his abilities.

"Yes" he said, not wanting to elaborate in case he got too defensive.

"Alright" Kensei replied, "just wanted to make sure you are safe in case I can't protect you." Shuuhei felt rotten hearing the genuine concern in Kensei's voice. Of course he was just worried, not trying to undermine him. He had put his life on the line many times before just for Shuuhei.

"I know" Shuuhei uttered, "I'm just nervous, that's all." Kensei reached to pat Shuuhei's arm as they walked down the street, Kisuke leading the way and Ikkaku and Yumichika keeping an eye on their surroundings. Ulquiorra strolled quietly after Kisuke, looking as if he was just on a nightly walk instead of going into his potential death.

"Yeah, me too" Kensei said, earning a curious look from Shuuhei.

"You don't look like it."

"I'm used to it. There's no point in showing the enemy how nervous you actually are, just it stick to the back of your mind and try to ignore it. Focus on the moment itself and what you need to do to get through it alive" Kensei advised Shuuhei, who listened attentively. He usually disliked all authorities in general and Kensei's attempts to undermine him for his age and skill, but this time he knew it was better to listen and learn.

"Can you do that" Kensei asked him as he noticed how Shuuhei was actually listening to him for once, "for me?" Shuuhei smiled faintly, it looked like Kensei was a sucker for stupid promises like he was.

"I think I might yeah" he said lightly, nodding with mock self- belief.

"This isn't the time to joke around Shuuhei. I'm serious."

"Sorry, it's a defense mechanism" the young man said, staring at his shoes to hide his grin from Kensei. The man sighed and shook his head, though then again maybe it was better to greet death with a smile rather than fear.

"Just be careful, alright? No trying to be the hero."

"Do I look like a hero to you?" Shuuhei asked, "I think that's your shtick." Kensei didn't seem to appreciate Shuuhei's words.

"You've been doing it pretty well so far" he added.

"You really think so?" Kensei asked incredulously, glancing at the scar marring Shuuhei's face.

"Well that was all me, without you I'd be dead. Twice actually" Shuuhei said after doing little math in his head. Kensei shivered, he didn't want to dwell on those moments. It was just slowly dawning to him how serious the incident of that night actually was, they had broken into Shuuhei's house with the intent on killing both Shuuhei and Ulquiorra to their beds, in cold blood. It would've been an execution, a cold blooded murder. It was a sign that they were definitely closing in on them, but also that the stakes were now higher than ever, if the situation wasn't solved now it would only escalate into an open war. What Kensei had mentioned earlier about him being shot in the steps of the police force could very well turn into reality once the mobsters would found out that their men had been brutally killed during their mission. There was no time to waste.

As Kensei turned quiet Shuuhei took the chance to try and calm his mind, replaying Kensei's advice in his head. But he noticed he wasn't worried for himself, his thoughts kept drifting to Kensei and his friends, they were all here because of his stupid ideals and high morals. Would it really matter if he had just left things be? He could've moved into another city, let someone else deal with this. But instead he was here, leading his friends to danger once again. Ulquiorra turned to look at Shuuhei over his shoulder, and slowed down so he was walking by his side.

"Ulquiorra, are you sure you want to do this?" Shuuhei asked him.

"If I didn't want to come, I wouldn't be here" Ulquiorra said, "and I told you already, I don't take threats to my own life lightly."

"I can see that" Shuuhei said, "but where did you get the gun?" Ulquiorra was quiet and Shuuhei thought he wouldn't answer like he often did, but Ulquiorra surprised him once more that night.

"I've had it for some time. I figured something like this might happen eventually so I wanted to be prepared" he said, "and to tell the truth, it was easier than I thought."

"What do you-" Shuuhei almost stopped as he realized what Ulquiorra was implying, "You shot one of them?"

"I keep it under my bed. I heard them come in and just sat down to wait." A slight smile flashed on Ulquiorra's face, his eyes staying cold. Shuuhei felt a shiver run through his spine. _I've been living with a psychopath. Why am I not that surprised? _

"Well I'm glad you're...Okay with all this" he said and then patted Ulquiorra on the back, "you're a true friend." Ulquiorra gave Shuuhei a long look and Shuuhei drew his hand away.

"I'm not thankful for this" Ulquiorra said, "and when this is over, I'm moving out."

"Oh, alright" Shuuhei said, "of course. I understand."

"That's if you're alive after this" Kensei noted ahead of them, giving them a grim look, "stay focused, we're nearly there." Shuuhei braced himself and Ulquiorra felt silent again. He took his original place just behind Kisuke while Kensei stayed at Shuuhei's side.

"Remember, keep a cool head."

"Right" Shuuhei said, turning his arm and letting the knife slide into his hand, "I'm ready."

* * *

><p>"Goddamnit..." Shinji groaned as he came to, trying to open his eyes. His mouth tasted foul and was so dry he could barely move his tongue. He could hear footsteps walking all around him, some even above him, heavy boots clanging against steel floors. <em>I really hope this is the place Shuuhei talked about, <em>Shinji thought as he flexed his hands that were tied together behind back, almost cutting off the blood flow. He tried to move his legs, but they were tied too, to the legs of the chair he was sitting on. _Right, this isn't the ideal situation to be in right now. _Shinji managed to open his eyes and clear his vision. He was seated at the back of a large storage hall, large containers lining each side. Men with guns were walking around, some of them in the metallic stairs hanging above Shinji's head. He turned his head as he was sure he had heard banging from one of the containers near him. _I don't even want to know, _Shinji thought and thanked his luck he was still out in the open. For the moment at least.

One of the guards noticed he was conscious and walked to the far corner of the hall, talking to a man leaning over a makeshift table. The man turned to look at Shinji, but he was too far for him to make out his face. He started to walk towards Shinji, few guards following few steps behind him. Shinji shook his head to clear his mind and batted his eyes to clear his vision, his sight was still blurry from the blow to the head he had received earlier. The man was now just few dozen feet away and Shinji could already tell he was in trouble. He recognized this man, but not from his nightly stake-outs in back alleys around town. This man's face had just decorated the Sunday edition of the local spreadsheet, dubbing him the Citizen of the Year. _Of course it had to be him, _Shinji thought as he felt a drip of sweat run down his neck. _Well, at least now I know the rumors are true. __Aizen Sousuke must be a busy man. _

The said man stopped just a feet away from Shinji, looking down at him over the rim of his glasses. His hands neatly tucked into his pockets, his immaculate suit looked like it cost more than the rent for this hall, his shoes looked too shiny for walking around this dump.

"Shinji Hirako" Aizen said, his voice was calm and soft, almost how a psychiatrist would talk to a patient, "it's a pleasure to finally meet you."

"Yeah I bet it is" Shinji said, almost frowning at the raspy sound of his own voice. Aizen smiled kindly at him, waving his hand to dispatch his guards.

"You've been causing me a lot of problems lately."

"I'm terribly sorry." Aizen's smile widened slightly but his eyes were cold.

"Always with the quick tongue" he said, "it saddens me that we had to go to such lengths before you understood what's good for you."

"Sorry for the inconvenience" Shinji croaked, trying to smirk back at Aizen. The man's look gave him the creeps. Aizen crouched down to Shinji's level, placing one hand on his knee. Shinji almost shivered at the touch, his leg jerked as he waited for Aizen to twist his knee from its joints. Now Aizen's eyes flashed with amusement, sensing Shinji's fear.

"It also saddens me to see you in this position Hirako" he said, "you used to be such an imposing figure." Shinji snorted, the laugh cackled in his chest.

"Yeah right" he said, trying to retain his grin, "cut the bullshit Aizen, if you gonna kill me just get it over with. And I'd suggest you get the fuck out of here before-"

"Before your friends come?" Aizen asked, "why would I do that?" Shinji stared at Aizen, trying to act defiant though he was in no position to do so.

"Do you seriously think that any of you pose a threat to me? To me?" Aizen continued, repeating the last words laughingly, "Oh you amuse me so Hirako. How the mighty have fallen." Shinji would've spat on Aizen's face is his mouth wasn't still so dry. Now the only thing he could do was rock the chair he was tied to and glare at the man.

"I'm sorry about the restraints, it seems my men still only know you by your old reputation" Aizen said, "you have made it abundantly clear that you pose no threat to me whatsoever."

"Well cut me free then, maybe I'll surprise you" Shinji said back. Aizen tilted his head to one side and slightly added pressure to his hold on Shinji's knee.

"Even though that would be most entertaining I think not. I think I'll just wait here till your friends arrive and then slice your throat as they watch." The sudden ruthlessness in Aizen's voice made Shinji's blood run cold. He didn't doubt Aizen's words for a second.

Aizen smiled that emotionless smile at him again, now brushing his fingers along the bruise forming on Shinji's cheek.

"I hope Kisuke Urahara won't prove to be as much of a disappointment as you, Hirako. Though I'm not convinced by his latest actions, I think he might be hiding something under than coy smile of his."

"Kisuke will tear your head off" Shinji said, "that's a promise." Aizen laughed lowly and raised his hand to his face, taking off his glasses.

"He is more than welcome to try. Actually, I would enjoy that even more than watching you bleed to death" Aizen said as he folded his glasses and slid them into his breast pocket, never breaking eye contact with Shinji.

"There was a time that I considered Urahara as a threat, but those days are long gone. Now he's merely a nuisance, but with the help of that insolent young reporter and his police aid he has become a nuisance I can do without." Aizen grabbed Shinji by the chin, forcing him to keep eye contact.

"How does it feel to be responsible for the deaths of your closest friends? I wouldn't know, I've never had friends. They make you weak, distract you from your goals. You can't be dependent on someone if you want to succeed in this world."

"Oh, and here I thought you didn't have any friends because no one wanted to be your friend. Being the cold- hearted sadistic psycho you are" Shinji said. Aizen merely stared into his eyes.

"I don't see how that's an insult" he said, "considering our positions at the moment."

"With you kneeling in front of me, oh yeah, this is the place to be" Shinji quipped again, enjoying the slight twitch of an eyebrow that signaled Aizen's patience was slowly wearing thinner.

"It's really pathetic to see a man such as you fallen so low that the only thing you can do is run your mouth" Aizen said as he tightened his grip on Shinji's chin, making him unable to move his jaws, "if I break your jaw, you won't be able to do even that. And then what? Any other tricks up your sleeve?"

"Well, if you'd want to unzip my pants I could show you one trick" Shinji mumbled crassly, "it's very popular." Aizen didn't appreciate Shinji's joke and twisted his jaw painfully.

"We'll see how far your jokes get you once your friends are screaming for their lives" he said before straightening himself and dusting his suit. He glanced at his watch, and then at the large entrance doors at the other of end the hall.

"Which shouldn't take long anymore. Finally some proper entertainment." Suddenly one of the doors creaked open and all the guards turned with their guns drawn, ready to fire at the intruder. Shinji felt his breath hitch as he waited for his friends to enter the building, feeling his hands shake. But instead of Kisuke and companions storming in, a skinny young man with silvery overgrown hair slipped inside, pressing the heavy door shut behind him. The guards lowered their weapons and returned to their duties as the young man waltzed across the hall towards Aizen. The smile returned to Aizen's face as the young man made it to his side, quickly bowing his head and then moving his eyes to Shinji.

"Oh, a prisoner. Quite traditional isn't it?"

"Sometimes the old way is the best" Aizen replied, "and the most effective. This cat and mouse-play has been going on long enough, a little incentive will surely bring us to a closure before long."

"You might be right" the young man said, tilting his head as he watched bloodied Shinji trying to catch his breath, "my, they've been quite rough this time, haven't they?"

"I think excessive force can be a necessity" Aizen replied, "especially in his case."

"Guess so" the young man said and stepped closer to Shinji, crouching down in front of him. His narrowed eyes were shadowed by his silvery sleek hair, and there was a constant smile tugging his lips, making him look like he was the only one in on a private joke that made fun of everyone else around him.

"Hey there" he said to Shinji with a small wave of his hand, "I'm Gin. I don't think we've met before. Well, not face-to-face anyway."

"I know who you are" Shinji said, "you're Aizen's little bitch." Gin's smile widened and a light laughter bubbled in his chest.

"That's one way of putting it. I could say you're Kisuke's little bitch if I wanted to be so crass myself."

"Yeah, but a murderer like you is obviously above such vulgarity. Figures." Shinji's insults seemed to excite Gin, he seemed almost giddy.

"Oh, I'm gonna like you. Too bad you're already dead."

"Right back at you" Shinji said. Gin chuckled as he got back up, turning to look at Aizen.

"Can't we keep him? He's much more fun than Tousen. We could offer them a switch."

"As much fun I'm sure Hirako would provide us, I think Kaname would object to that." Gin pouted his mouth at Aizen and Shinji followed their exchange with great curiosity. He knew Aizen's first hand man was a peculiar case but seeing them interact made everything even stranger. _Is Aizen such an unfeeling bastard he just doesn't care, or is this some kind of a sick joke? Or maybe he's just that good Aizen can afford_ _having a clown running around for him. _

Gin twirled around, he was wearing a similarly well-tailored suit which accentuated his long skinny limbs and made him look like a walking scarecrow. He glanced at the large doors and tapped his foot against the floor.

"They should be here any minute now" he noted, "are we excited?"

"To some extent yes" Aizen replied with his voice completely devoid of any sign of excitement, "but more just waiting for this mess to be over and dealt with."

"Oh, I thought we just got started. They've only killed, what, a dozen of our men? I would've thought we had plenty of more to spare."

"At some other time maybe, but I have plans that I need manpower for. I can't waste them on such trivial business."

"As you say" Gin said with a shrug. "I still think it would've been more fun."

"You're always thinking of the journey, not the goal, Gin. That's your flaw."

"One of many" Gin smirked, "though I wouldn't count that as a flaw. All the good stuff happens along the way."

"We'll see about that" Aizen said as he fixed his eyes on the doors, waiting.

* * *

><p><em>And the main villain makes his first appearance! Hope you guys liked it, the big climax is on its way to you.<em>


	22. Chapter 22

_**I was having a real writer's block the other day, just staring at all the stumps of chapters I have underway and not having the faintest clue what to do. But then, I read through all the reviews this story has gotten and oh man, you people are so NICE! (I really shouldn't jinx myself like this at this point but oh well). You've been really supportive, like that one time I was moaning about how I have no idea what do with this story and so on, and given actual constructive feedback consistently, which is awesome 'cause it lets me know if anyone is still reading this. I'm sorry the updates have been so few and far between, but since my summer holiday just started and I will be doing fuck all for the next four months, I think I will be updating this story much more frequently as well. And it shouldn't take long for the whole story to finish, so I want to thank you all now for being so goddamn lovely and supportive. You're the reason this story is still going on, and you are all awesome people who smell really, really nice.**_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 22.<strong>

The docks were eerily quiet. Only few seagulls were watching as Ikkaku and Yumichika jumped from shadow to shadow, making sure they wouldn't be ambushed before they reached their destination. Kisuke hadn't said a word during the whole walk, Kensei was keeping an eye on him in case he suddenly went berserk once they got to the warehouse. Ulquiorra was another worry for him, the young man had been able to kill a man in cold blood and that wasn't really convincing Kensei that he was the most level-headed person. And having loose cannons around when going head to head with a bunch of hard-boiled criminals wasn't ideal. _Well, unless he turns to gun on us maybe we're good. _

But of course Kensei's main concern was the person walking beside him. Shuuhei seemed calm on the outside, but Kensei could sense his nervousness. He hadn't been in such a situation before, walking knowingly into an open battle. Kensei knew what that felt like, he could remember it from years before when he had started his career. But he had been trained for this, he had chosen to do this for living. _He's just a kid, a stupid righteous kid who wants to help people. Idiot, _Kensei thought but couldn't help but to smile. He thanked whatever greater force in the universe had thrown them together on this suicide mission, despite Shuuhei's lack of experience and all his other flaws that made him highly unsuitable for this, there was no one else Kensei'd rather have by his side. He hoped Shuuhei felt the same way.

"Alright, we're clear" Ikkaku announced, then nodded towards one of the larger warehouses right at the edge of the docks, "and that's the ticket." Yumichika emerged from the shadows on the other side, seemingly climbing up from under a pier and dusted his clothes.

"Ready to roll?" he asked them, resting his hands on the hilts of his swords.

"Are you sure you want to fight with swords? Those guys probably have automatic weapons" Shuuhei asked. Ikkaku and Yumichika exchanged knowing looks and smiled at each other.

"I think we're good, don't worry" Yumichika said, "you just look after yourselves and try not to get in our way."

"We can manage that" Kensei said, "Kisuke, are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm good, I'm ready" Kisuke said, but his tone didn't convince anyone.

"Kisuke, there will be no room for mistakes. Whatever has happened to Shinji at this point-"

"I know, I know" Kisuke interrupted, "I know he might be as good as dead, but that only gives me all the more reason to focus on ending this with as much pain and death as I possibly can." Yumichika raised his eyebrows at the statement.

"You sure he won't turn into Hitler once he's in power?" he whispered to Ikkaku.

"Kisuke, if you really want to become the mayor you can't afford to have blood on your hands, no one will elect a man who has taken part in a massacre" Shuuhei said. Kisuke cracked his first smile since they had left the apartment.

"Well, then we just have to make sure that no one will ever know I was here" he said, "and that means being thorough with this. And I am as ready as I will ever be. I owe Shinji my life, countless times. It's time I gave him something back, whether he will ever know it or not." Shuuhei glanced at Kensei, who just shrugged.

"If you want to try and stop him, go ahead" Shuuhei said.

"Alright, and lastly you" Kensei said, pointing at Ulquiorra who turned to him with his blank face, "you've already proven that you have no problems killing men in cold-blood but can you keep a cool head once you're surrounded by gun fire and chaos?"

"I've never been much bothered by my surroundings, I think I can handle little massacre just fine." Shuuhei hid his smile, he wasn't sure what he found more amusing, Ulquiorra's sudden reveal that he was either a complete psychopath or a steel-nerved hero, or that everyone else seemed deeply troubled by his words.

"Alright, that's all I need to know" Kensei said, "gentlemen, remember, we have no idea how many people there are in that warehouse, what guns they have, what they will do when they see us or if we even make it out alive tonight. So keep a cool head, follow my lead and don't try to be a hero. None of you are bulletproof."

"We'll see about that" Ikkaku chuckled as he drew his katana, dim moonlight catching on its shiny blade.

"And keep those things away from me, I don't my head chopped off in the middle of things."

"Don' worry, we're quite crafty with these things" Yumichika assured him, though his grin never faded.

"Right, so" Kensei said, the adrenaline was starting to rush through him, fueling his tongue, "this it it."

"About time" Shuuhei added, making Ikkaku and Yumichika smile. Kensei walked towards the warehouse, it was strangely quiet inside. He rolled his shoulders back, pulling his gun into his hand. With a deep breath, he kicked the doors in with a loud bang and stepped inside.

* * *

><p>Aizen didn't even flinch as the doors of the warehouse opened with a loud clash, alerting the guards who all aimed their weapons toward the doors. Beside him Gin smiled widely, his hand disappearing behind his back to grab his gun. Shinji held his breath, his whole body was tense as he waited for the guards to open fire. He felt slight excitement as Kensei stepped inside, looking like he had stepped out of a comic book with his bulletproof west on and gun drawn, and he looked absolutely furious, but still in control. Gin giggled out loud, flexing his fingers on the handle of his gun.<p>

Right behind Kensei came in Ikkaku and Yumichika, both holding katanas in their hands. _Oh for God's sake, they not really going to fight with those ancient things? _Shinji groaned to himself as he saw Ulquiorra taking his place behind Kensei, this wasn't actually the heroic rescue operation he had been waiting for. He would've thought they had at least notified the police. _Then again, having more corrupted police in here probably wouldn't had helped that much. _Shinji almost kicked his chair off balance as Kisuke emerged and Gin pulled out his gun, spinning it on his finger. Lastly Shuuhei came in, the young man was holding a knife in his hand. _A fucking knife! That's it, I'm dead. We're all dead. _

Aizen gave Shinji an amused look before stepping into view, straightening his tie as he did.

"Good evening, gentlemen. It's a pleasure to finally meet you all in person-" he started but stopped when one of his guards suddenly collapsed on the floor with a loud gurgling sound. Yumichika flicked his sword, splattering blood on the cement floor. Second later another guard standing too close fell, blood spilling from his throat. Ikkaku kicked the guard's dropped gun towards Kisuke, who grabbed it and nodded gratefully to Ikkaku. Aizen batted his eyes, this wasn't what he had expected. The remaining guards all looked to Aizen for his command, and their guests took full advantage of their hesitation.

Kensei took out three guards with three shots, aiming for the ones higher up on the metal staircases criss-crossing the warehouse. Yumichika and Ikkaku headed for the opposite sides of the warehouse, slicing men down as they went. Finally one of them tried to shoot just before Ikkaku cut off his hand before beheading the man in two swift slashes. The gunfire started to rain on them in an instant, and Kensei quickly grabbed Shuuhei's arm and dragged the young man to safety behind one of the larger crates lining the walls. Kisuke and Ulquiorra ran to hiding behind another crate, Ikkaku and Yumichika were still making their way towards Shinji and Aizen.

Gin took this opportunity and started to walk towards the two men skulking along the sides of the warehouse. He waited until Yumichika dared to move an inch away from his hiding and shot at him, missing him by a hair's width. Ikkaku tightened his grip on his sword, blood dripping from the blade to his feet. More gunshots battered the containers, making Shuuhei and Kensei crouch down, hoping the steel of the containers was strong enough to hold back bullets.

"Well, it started out okay" Shuuhei said to Kensei, almost gasping for breath.

"There's still at least a dozen guards left, and the main guys" Kensei replied as he reloaded, "did you recognize that suit guy?"

"Yeah, that's Aizen Sousuke, a big shot in the corporate ladder. But I've never seen him mentioned by anyone, or even hinted at" Shuuhei said, frowning as he tried to piece together this new information, "I'm bit out in the woods right now."

"Let's think of that later, now stay behind me" Kensei said as the gunfire ceased for a second and he reached around the container to shoot. Another guard screamed in pain as Kensei shot him in the kneecap, shattering bones.

"That sounded painful" Shuuhei said.

"You have no idea." Shuuhei glanced to the side, seeing Kisuke and Ulquiorra aiming for the guards closest to them. One man stopped to reload his gun, and that was when Ulquiorra stood up and aimed for his head. The shot hit him bit lower, severing the man's artery on his neck. Blood covered the floor as he fell down. The smell of blood was already palpable in the air, mixing with the burning scent of gunfire.

"Enough!" Suddenly the sounds of gunshots stopped, but it was far from silent. The pained groans of wounded guards echoed in the hall, making shivers run through Shuuhei's spine. He looked at Kensei, the man looked calm and focused, his hands steady as they held the gun.

"Kisuke Urahara, if you want to see your little friend alive, I suggest you step out of your hiding." Kisuke stood still for a second and then quietly came out from behind the container. Ikkaku swore under his breath and jumped out of his hiding, shielding Kisuke behind him. Yumichika was quick to join his partner, standing tall with the bloody swords in his hands. Gin raised his gun to aim at Ikkaku but Aizen stopped him. He was standing behind Shinji, holding a switchblade to the man's throat. Already a small drop of blood ran down Shinji's neck from the cut the blade had made. Kisuke's eyes darkened and his hand holding the gun twitched.

"Finally I have your attention" Aizen said, "I wouldn't have thought you this rash, Kisuke." Kisuke didn't seem eager to talk.

"You aimed your guns at us. Did you seriously think we'd wait to hear your little speech and then get slaughtered, not even trying to do anything?" Kisuke paused to glance at his lover, "And now you have resorted into petty tactics just to have us hear your grand speeches. How fitting for you."

"I counted on your own taste for dramatic gestures. Bursting in here with only five men, two of them mere children? Very bold Kisuke, even from you."

"I could say it's very bold for a man of your status to come down here himself. You don't think the public and the media won't be interested in hearing what you have been up to?"

"This was a special occasion, I had to see this for myself. You have fallen very low indeed, Kisuke. And I'm not worried. If any of you gets out of here alive, which won't happen, who would believe you? Maybe they would believe that most of the police force and the council are corrupted, but me? My hand reaches much further than this pesky town, taking me down will require more than you are even capable of."

"There's no harm in trying. And everything that might cause you even a little bit of trouble is a pleasure to me." Shinji smiled faintly at Kisuke's words, this was the old Kisuke he had grown to know years back.

"I'm beginning to see that" Aizen said and then moved his attention to the large crate which was hiding Kensei and Shuuhei behind it, "your friends should step out as well, I wouldn't want them trying anything stupid and risking your dear Shinji's life."

"Ignore him Kisuke" Shinji managed to utter with the knife still firmly on his main artery, "he's an asshole." Kisuke wanted to smile or laugh but the terror had made his face freeze.

"It's okay" he said quietly, "Kensei, Shuuhei, if you could, please..." Kisuke didn't even have to end his sentence when the two men stepped into view, Kensei had sheathed his gun and Shuuhei's knife was nowhere to be seen.

"So you're the cause of all my past problems" Aizen said as he eyed Shuuhei, "I was expecting something...grander."

"Well, you got me instead" Shuuhei replied, Kensei shifting his weight so he was closer to Shuuhei, "sorry to disappoint."

"I'd think someone like you knows not to judge people so quickly, Aizen" Kisuke said, "you've kept up your own appearances for quite some time now."

"Quite right. Well, your entrance certainly did not disappoint me, unexpected as it was. I was looking forward to talking with the two people who have almost single-handedly tried to take me on, very impressive feat. Just begs the question why?" Shuuhei stared at Aizen coldly, calculating their distance in his head. Beside him Kensei stood strong, Shuuhei felt safe even though there were still a handful of armed guards and two psychopaths against them.

"Because it's what's right" Shuuhei said, "you are corrupting the city, people are dying. There will soon be no city if no one does anything."

"Would that be such a bad thing to happen? This town is obviously filled with drug addicts, beggars, social outcasts, the very people this society needs to be rid off anyway. I'm only doing this country a favor." Yumichika scoffed, turning the sword in his hand to let the blood flow down the curve molded in the middle of the blade.

"So that's your goal in all this? Not making money or gaining power, you want to purge society." Aizen smiled coldly, turning the knife on Shinji's throat.

"Oh no, I'm only interested in draining this town of everything it can offer me. Whatever damage it does to the insects inhabiting it is just a welcome bonus."

"You sick bastard" Kensei spat out, making Gin whip out his gun to aim it at Kensei's head. This time Aizen didn't order him to lower the gun, merely moved his eyes to Kensei, who hadn't even flinched while staring down at the barrel of a semi-automatic weapon. Beside him Shuuhei felt his heart beating so hard he could hear it thumping in his ears.

"That's bit unnecessary, wouldn't you think?" Aizen asked, adding slightly more pressure to the blade. Shinji shivered as he could feel blood dripping down his neck. Kisuke's hands balled into fists as he tried to keep control of himself while watching Shinji's life being played with like this.

"There are no words foul enough to describe what you are" Kensei continued, still ignoring the gun pointed at his face, "I know your type."

"Oh, I don't think you do. There are no people quite like me."

"Twisted bastards like you are quite common actually" Shinji wheezed out, a defiant smile on his face. Kisuke wanted to plead him to just be quiet but knew it would be in vain. Aizen glanced down at Shinji, still smiling and ran his fingers along the side of his face. Kisuke exhaled slowly, Yumichika and Ikkaku standing by him were almost shaking from having to hold back for this long. The only one seeming relaxed was Ulquiorra, who had grabbed another gun into his free hand from a dead guard. The young man stood slightly slouched, holding the guns to his sides looking almost bored. Aizen had ignored him until this point, and he tilted his head trying to read Ulquiorra's empty expression.

"I see some of you have already accepted your fate. Wise decision from such a young man." Ulquiorra stared back at Aizen in silence, not moving an inch.

"He's a tough little shit this one" Gin said. Ulquiorra's eyes flashed to him and even Gin felt a cold shiver run through his spine being stared by those unfeeling eyes.

"I am impressed by the company you keep, Shuuhei" Aizen said, "I very rarely get to see such a pitiful set of misguided fools."

"Keep talking Aizen, while you still can" Ikkaku said, turning the sword in his hand, "I won't be missing the sound of your voice once your head is on the floor." Suddenly Yumichika pushed him to the floor and then jumped on Kisuke, dragging him down too. The air was filled with the sound of gunshots again as one of the still living guards tried to shoot them, encouraging the others to join in. Kensei tackled Shuuhei back behind the crate, knocking the air out his lungs. Kensei looked back and saw that Ulquiorra hadn't even moved, the gun in his hand smoked from being fired rapidly. The second Yumichika had moved he had aimed for the guard and put a bullet between his eyes. He had continued to shoot until Aizen had raised his hand again, stopping the shooting. Kensei looked back at Ulquiorra, Shuuhei struggling to break free from his grasp.

"Ulquiorra, is he..." Shuuhei finally wrung himself free and tried to lunge forward but Kensei pulled him back by his shoulders.

"He's alright. Not a scratch on him." Kensei was right. Ulquiorra had managed to stand in the middle of the hail of bullets without getting hit once. Aizen raised an eyebrow at the sight of the young man still standing unharmed.

"Impressive. But I doubt your luck will hold twice." Gin took Aizen's words as a command and aimed for Ulquiorra this time, his finger on the trigger. Ulquiorra responded by aiming back at him.

"Still think you have bullets left, kid?" Gin asked.

"I can count" Ulquiorra replied.

Shuuhei struggled with Kensei to let him closer to Ulquiorra but the man's grip was steel. Kisuke was also held back by Yumichika and Ikkaku as they waited for the moment to act. Kensei pushed Shuuhei back with his shoulder and tightened his grip on his arm.

"Wait" he whispered, "wait." Shuuhei obeyed grudgingly, watching Ulquiorra stand there alone was agonizing. _He shouldn't even be here, why is he here, why is he doing this? _Kensei put his hand on Shuuhei's shoulder.

"He knows what he's doing, just wait."

"Well I have no fucking clue what he's doing" Shuuhei replied but stayed down. On the other side Yumichika tightened his grip on his sword, exhaling slowly as his eyes followed the stand-off.

"This is wrong, how the hell are we supposed to come back from this?" Ikkaku cursed.

"Just wait" Kisuke said, "this will be over soon."

"I figured as much" Yumichika said as he looked at their surroundings, "though I have no idea how."

* * *

><p><em>Oh it's all so very...meh. <em>


	23. Chapter 23

_**Prepare for dramatic scenes, people! Just warning you, it's really not pretty...**_

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><p><strong>Chapter 23. <strong>

There was nothing Kensei would've rather done at that moment than kick Ulquiorra's head in. He knew they were all risking their lives but tempting fate like this wasn't in the plan. _Well, the plan that never really was but still. If we had had a proper plan, playing hero wasn't in it. _First he had thought Ulquiorra had just gone mad, which would've actually been more comforting, but it was more likely that he was just a stone cold sociopath. Kensei hadn't yet decided whether that was a good thing or not, considering they were fighting against psychopaths. _However this plays out, I will kick his ass later. I don't care if he lives or dies, his ass is mine. _

Kensei remembered the look on Ulquiorra's face when he had run into his room after the break-in at their apartment. He had been standing there with a blank expression on his face, a smoking gun in his hand and a corpse at his door. Any other normal person would've been already dead or at least freaking out, but Ulquiorra had kept his pokerface on. Only a slight flicker in his eyes had told Kensei he did not want to be on Ulquiorra's bad side, ever. In any other circumstance Kensei would've disarmed Ulquiorra and told him to stay back, but somehow it seemed that whoever was close to Shuuhei got somehow wrapped into this huge mess. Now they needed all the help they could get.

If the situation wasn't so dire Kensei would've maybe laughed at the sight. How could they even think of going against someone like Aizen Sousuke? He hated to admit but Aizen was right, who would believe them if they told everyone he was behind all the corruption in this city? But right now Kensei didn't care. He just wanted to shut him up and think of the consequences later once this was all over.

Shuuhei squeezed the knife in his hand as a strange calm entered his mind. He flexed his fingers on the handle as he pictured the distance between his own position and where Aizen was currently standing with a knife on Shinji's throat. He glanced at Ulquiorra still standing alone just few feet away, he knew there were only some seconds left before everything would explode into action again. Shuuhei saw Yumichika and Ikkaku exchange long looks and nod to each other, both of them were wearing almost disturbingly wide smiles on their faces. Kisuke looked more serious, his knuckles were turning white from holding the gun in his hand. Shuuhei heard Aizen starting to talk again, gloating and boasting like before. Kensei spat on the floor as he listened to the speech.

"We should be thankful" Shuuhei said, earning a raised eyebrow from Kensei.

"For this bullshit? Yeah sure, he's starting to do my head in" Kensei said, "Just makes me want to silence him even more."

"Yeah, but he's buying us time. He wants to see us afraid and hear us beg, this is all about power play now. If he wasn't so damn proud he wouldn't have come here, he would've had us killed ages ago."

"Thank God for stupid criminals" Kensei said with a lopsided grin, "I would've just shot us all the second we stepped in."

"Remember me never to anger you." Kensei wasn't sure how he felt about Shuuhei's ability for inane banter in the middle of all this. Usually rookies were scared shitless and could barely breathe when they were thrown into a gun battle, but Shuuhei was handling it all surprisingly well. Kensei would've almost preferred for him to be scared, at least that way he would've stayed out of harm's way. Aizen was still spouting on with his speech, earning another roll of eyes from Kensei.

"This guy loves the sound of his own voice, doesn't he?"

"I think he loves our silence more than that" Shuuhei said, and Kensei felt a shiver run through his spine.

Ulquiorra wasn't hearing a word Aizen was saying, his ears were filled with strange white noise. He had blocked out everything but the weight of the gun in his hand and the sight of Gin aiming for his head. There was a strange battle of spirits going on between them, each one trying to scare the other either to back off or shoot first. Ulquiorra had been violently thrown in the middle of this strange situation but he felt surprisingly calm. Even the prospect of having bullet between his eyes wasn't filling him with dread, he had a strange certainty that he would walk away from this with his own two feet.

Ulquiorra was sure Gin could see that from his eyes, his resolve seemed to wane slowly. Ulquiorra knew the others were waiting on him to make the first move as a distraction so they could act, but there was the problem. If he shot Gin, Aizen would most likely slice Shinji's throat and escape in the following chaos. If he tried to shoot Aizen, he might still have time to kill Shinji and Gin would shoot him. _A conundrum. Well I've always liked games..._

Shuuhei was thinking the exact same thing as Ulquiorra. He was pretty sure he knew how Ulquiorra would choose, opting for saving his own life instead of the one that was already almost lost. Shuuhei couldn't blame him, he would've done the same thing if he was in his place. He shifted his footing and corrected his grip on the knife. Kensei noticed his movements and grabbed his arm.

"Shuuhei, what did I tell you?" Kensei said, "Do not try to be a hero."

"I'm just trying to be ready" Shuuhei said, "There's not much time left." Kensei had to believe Shuuhei, though his instincts screamed that the young man would soon try to do something very stupid. Preparing himself for whatever he would have to in order to save Shuuhei he turned to Ulquiorra again and breathed in to relax his muscles. He pictured in his mind where Aizen and Gin were standing, and possible hiding spots for the guards who were still alive. Kensei made eye contact with their other companions, Yumichika and Ikkaku seemed more than ready and Kisuke had reached that point of no return where he was most dangerous. Kensei reminded himself of not forgetting this night when Kisuke would return back to his usual self.

Aizen paused his speech for a second, maybe he had noticed no one was really listening to him anymore. He sighed and pushed back a stray strand of his hair than hung on his forehead, his other hand still firmly holding the blade on Shinji's throat. He could still feel Shinji's rapid heartbeat against the thin blade, he was surprised the man hadn't already passed out from sheer panic. Gin had kept his eyes on the audacious young man for the whole time, but hadn't yet pulled the trigger. He was enjoying this at least as much as Aizen.

"Kisuke, you disappoint me. I've heard no witty rebuttal or seen any grand gestures in response to my threats. You have lost your touch." Yumichika glanced at Kisuke. Even he felt disturbed by the look on Kisuke's face and his complete silence. Ikkaku was slowly shuffling away from him, right now he would've rather taken on ten Aizens instead of Kisuke.

"You done, Aizen? Why don't you just shut up and let's finish this like men!" Kensei shouted at him, cocking his gun. He wanted to act fast, Shuuhei's behaviour was making him nervous. He'd seen rookies do this dozen times before, amidst the carnage they suddenly turned eerily calm and then threw themselves straight into the wolf's mouth, in almost every case killing themselves but saving, or trying to save, someone else in the process. Ulquiorra was going through the same thing, they had suddenly found themselves in the eye of the storm where it was quiet and calm and they thought they were safe. But there was no safety here, only the chance of buying some time. _Stupid kids, you were not supposed to be here! _Kensei felt his fingers slipping as he held the gun, cursing Aizen for his dramatics. If it were up to him this would've been already over.

"Shuuhei, whatever you're thinking, don't do it" Kensei said quietly, stealing a glance at Shuuhei only to realize he wasn't listening. _Shit, shit shit shit. _

"Come on now, amuse me for little longer. Shuuhei, I have to admit, your friend here impresses me. It's almost a shame he has to die, he would've made a lovely pet."

"Don't listen to him" Kensei said, trying to reach out to Shuuhei.

"And Kensei, answer me this. If you are so desperate in wanting to keep Shuuhei save, why bring him here? Children in the middle of all this, you should know better. Then again, you never really were that good at protecting children, were you?" Kensei let the words flow past him, but reminded himself of finding out how the hell Aizen knew all this. He wasted a second turning to look at Ulquiorra again when Shuuhei suddenly bounced to his feet. Kensei cursed profusely as he lunged towards Ulquiorra, tackling the young man down a split second after he had fired his gun at Gin, missing by a hair. Yumichika jumped to cover them both as they fell, and threw one of his katanas at Gin, managing to hit his leg and knock him off balance.

Ikkaku had jumped out of their hiding and was running towards the last three guards still alive while Kisuke headed towards Aizen himself. He expected to see Shinji lying on the floor, bleeding out, but instead he saw Aizen staggering back, holding his bleeding arm. Shinji was still breathing, though all the colour had drained from his face and the wound on his throat was bleeding. Trying to understand what had happened in that one second he had missed, Kisuke noticed Shuuhei's knife lying on the floor few feet behind Aizen, its blade stained in blood.

Kensei saw the same thing and quickly scrambled back to his feet, fearing what would happen once Gin realized his boss had been hit. He turned around just in time to see Shuuhei flashing him a bright, victorious smile before a bullet pierced through his abdomen, and Shuuhei's face froze to that smile as his eyes slowly dimmed.

"NO!" Kensei ran to grab Shuuhei as he started to fall and then felt a blinding pain tearing through his back. Gin had a second to smile at his small victory before having to dodge from the hail of bullets Kisuke fired at him. He ran after Aizen who had already made his way out of the warehouse, firing few shots back at Ikkaku who had made an effort to follow him.

"Damnit!" Ikkaku swore as he turned back to go help Shuuhei when Ulquiorra ran past him, "Hey, where are you..." He didn't even finish his question when Ulquiorra was out of the building, disappearing into the night.

"Fucking kid" Ikkaku shook his head as he ran to Shuuhei and Kensei. Yumichika was trying to separate Kensei from Shuuhei, but his grip was like steel. He was bleeding too, but seemed to be oblivious to his own wounds as Shuuhei was slowly losing consciousness.

"I told you, I told you so many times..." Yumichika heard Kensei whisper as he held the young man in his arms. Knowing he was risking his own life Yumichika tried to move Kensei again.

"Kensei, you're hurt, let us help you..."

"GET AWAY FROM ME!" Yumichika flinched and backed away as Ikkaku came to him.

"You're okay?" he asked, lowering a hand on Yumichika's shoulder.

"Yeah, I'm fi-" Yumichika stopped when he noticed blood running down Ikkaku's arm, "you're hurt!"

"Nah, it's nothing, can't even feel it-" Ikkaku said as Yumichika was already tearing his shirt open to see the wound, "hey, not now-"

"Shut up, you idiot" Yumichika snapped as he inspected the wound, "it's fine, you should be fine."

"Told you." Ikkaku gave Yumichika a quick smile before returning to reality and nodding towards Kensei and Shuuhei, "It's those two we need to worry about."

Kisuke was still trying to untie Shinji from his chair, though he kept telling him to leave it.

"Fuck me, go see if those two idiots are still alive, goddammit!" Shinji argued as he kicked about in his chair, "I'm fine, I'll live, it's just little blood..." Kisuke was still quiet, but his frantic efforts to untie Shinji were more telling of his mental state than anything else.

"Kisuke, just stop it, I'm fine!"

"I'm not" Kisuke said and looked Shinji in the eye. Finally Shinji quieted down and let Kisuke free him. He looked at his face and felt a pang of guilt knowing he had had to put him through all this.

"I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault" Kisuke said in a low voice, "it's mine, I should've never asked you to do this for me."

"Like you had any say in that."

"From now on, I will." Kisuke finally managed to open Shinji's bindings. Shinji groaned as blood slowly flowed back to his hands and feet and tried to get up.

"Slowly" Kisuke said, pushing him back into the chair.

"I've been sitting in this chair almost pissing myself for over an hour, I'd really like to stand up now" Shinji argued, "please." Kisuke grudgingly stepped back and let Shinji get up, having to instantly hold him as his feet wobbled under him.

"Told you" he said as Shinji grabbed his shoulders.

"I'd much rather lean on you anyway." Kisuke didn't say anything back, but wrapped his arm around Shinji's waist to hold him up until his feet woke up again.

Ikkaku and Yumichika had managed to move Kensei and could now see the extent of his wounds. The bullet had passed through his bulletproof vest and was lodged in his back but had apparently missed his spine. He was still conscious and resisted Ikkaku's every effort to help him.

"Leave me alone, I'm fine!" he insisted, repeating Shinji's words.

"You've been shot, you idiot, of course you're not fine" Ikkaku said as he tried to steady him, "don't move, you'll cause more damage."

"I DON'T CARE!" Kensei tried to get up so he could see Shuuhei but Yumichika was blocking his view, "How's...Is he..." Yumichika didn't say anything, he was busy trying to stop the bleeding. Blood started to drip from Shuuhei's mouth.

"We need to get him to a hospital, he's bleeding out. I don't know how much internal damage there is, I can't do anything for him here." Kensei almost knocked Ikkaku down as he struggled to get up again.

"Kensei, calm the fuck down!"

"HE'S DYING! I can't!" Kisuke was also crouched next to Shuuhei, holding his hand on his pulse.

"He's fading already, we haven't got the time. Shinji..."

"I'm on it" Shinji said, he was already phoning a friend who could help them and not ask questions. Those were the only type of friends he actually had.

"Get off me!" Kensei demanded and finally pushed Ikkaku away, dragging himself to Shuuhei.

"Kensei..." Kisuke said as the man grabbed Shuuhei into his arms.

"SHUT UP! None of you say anything!" Kensei screamed. Shinji had already ended his phone call.

"He's coming in five minutes" he told Kisuke and glanced at Shuuhei's lifeless body Kensei was cradling, "you think he can wait that long?"

"I said, SHUT IT!" Kensei shouted again, "Don't even..."

"We need to get him to a hospital, he's bleeding out. You know how people die getting shot in the stomach" Yumichika tried to reason with Kensei, but he wasn't listening anymore.

"Shuuhei, don't you dare die now, I will..." he tried but words failed him as he felt Shuuhei's blood pool under him, "oh God, please no..." Kensei grabbed Shuuhei's face, staining it with blood as he tried to shake him awake.

"Shuuhei, look at me! Look at me!" Yumichika bit his lip and tried to approach Kensei.

"Kensei, he's out of it, you can't..."

"How many fucking times do I have to tell you to shut the hell up?!" Kensei growled, urging Yumichika to stay back, "He's NOT dying here, not like this!" Shinji tried his luck with a different strategy.

"We can't do anything for him, his guts are torn apart!" he said, trying to shake Kensei into reality. Kensei glared at Shinji.

"I will tear out your spine if you say one more word about him. I will do it with my own hands."

"Kensei, calm down. We've called help, they'll be here soon, we can get him to the hospital on time, everything will be fine" Kisuke said calmly, "everyone just stay back and wait." Kensei turned back to Shuuhei, trying to find his pulse from his neck. His fingers were slippery from all the blood, its stench was making him feel nauseous.

"No...Please, anything but him, anything...Anything."

* * *

><p>Stark finished his cigarette just as he pulled over at the empty docks. He hadn't heard from Shinji in years and had figured the old thief had changed his ways for the better but apparently not. And somehow he had managed to tangle Kensei in it too. Stark didn't turn off the engine as he got out from the car in front of the large warehouse, judging by Shinji's words they needed to be somewhere pretty damn quick. <em>Hope it's the right place, <em>Stark thought as he approached the warehouse's doors, which were left wide open. _Yeah, I'm guessing this is the right place. _

Stark stepped inside the warehouse and almost immediately stumbled into a corpse.

"What the-" he managed to utter when he noticed another bunch of dead men lying around the hall. And the still living five men covered in blood standing in the middle of it, staring at him.

"Evening" Stark said slowly, "someone called for a ride?"

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><p><em>And yes, that's where I'm leaving you. Ain't I just lovely? Till next time!<em>


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24. **

The town's nightly silence was violently disturbed by the sound of an engine being pushed to its limits as Stark raced through the empty streets. Kisuke was squeezed on the front seat with Shinji half on his lap, his head bumping against the window on every left turn. Kensei was in the backseat with Shuuhei still in his arms, blood staining his own skin and hands, his face streaked with tears. Shuuhei had been unconscious ever since they left the warehouse but no one dared to say anything in the fear of Kensei's rage. Even Stark was quiet, sensing this was not the time to ask questions or make small talk. Kisuke and Shinji communicated to each other with meaningful looks, and Kisuke hadn't let go of Shinji's hand.

Kensei was too distracted to even tell Stark to drive faster. He had a feeling that would've been unnecessary anyway, it felt like the car was straining at it limits already. In few tight corners he had slammed his body into the car door almost painfully hard but it hadn't even registered in his brain. His senses were filled with the stench of fresh blood and the faint heartbeat that still kept beating in Shuuhei's chest, he could barely feel it under his hands as he held the young man so tightly it hurt. Kensei was barely aware of the searing pain in his back, he had pushed it to the back of his mind and blatantly refused to collapse until he knew Shuuhei was being taken care of. _You goddamn idiot kid, I told you a hundred times! You promised me, that was the only reason I let you come. You stupid, ignorant…Don't you die on me!_

Stark pulled the handbrake and made the car slide sideways in the middle of an intersection, stepping on the gas as soon as the wheels stopped smoking. Shinji grimaced as he hit his head again, earning a soft look from Kisuke.

"Nearly there" Stark said, his half-burned cigarette still hung on the side of his mouth. Kensei didn't respond and Stark frowned in worry. Kensei wasn't the most talkative type on a good day but there was just something beyond scary about him now. Stark hoped the kid would survive, if for nothing else than out of sheer terror of what Kensei might do if he didn't.

Finally they reached the hospital, and Stark steered the car right in front of the main entrance, almost crashing in through the glass doors. Kisuke and Shinji jumped out, but Kensei was already dragging Shuuhei out, trying to press on the wound and hold him in his arms at the same time.

"Hey Kensei, let me help" Shinji tried but quickly backed off as Kensei almost knocked him down rushing past him, "o-kay then."

"Better to let him be" Kisuke said as he grabbed Shinji's hand again, "let's get you checked out too."

"I told you, I'm perfectly fine!"

"You're still bleeding from the neck."

"It's only a scratch."

"I'll let you be once the doctor says that too. Now come on."

Kensei kicked open the main doors and ran inside, earning curious looks from the nurses in the lobby. It took them a second to take in Kensei's bloodied hands and face and the lifeless body he was carrying before they sprang into action. In a matter of seconds they had put Shuuhei on a stretcher, called for the doctor and reserved an operation room, and even managed to tear Kensei away from Shuuhei's side.

"Sir, you can't go further than this, I'm sorry" a young nurse said to him, trying to push Kensei back, "just sit down and wait…" Kensei looked he was going to resist but then suddenly his eyes rolled to the back of his head and he fell on the nurse. Stark, who had just come in after him ran over and pulled Kensei off the young nurse.

"Sorry about that, it's been a stressful day…" Stark started but paused, and slowly drew back his hand he had pressed against Kensei's back and saw it was stained in blood.

"Oh!" the nurse exclaimed, "He's hurt!" Shinji and Kisuke had managed to limp inside as well, but the nurses were too busy trying to wheel Shuuhei out and turn Kensei over to see the extent of his wounds. A stern looking older nurse appeared from apparently nowhere and pushed Stark away, grabbing Kensei's arm and easily lifting him up. She looked up at his friends who were standing few feet away.

"What happened to him?" All possible cover stories about a gang- shooting and injured in the line of duty-excuses flowed out of Kisuke's head under the nurse's piercing eyes.

"He was shot in the back" Shinji was quick to say, and it seemed to be enough for the nurse.

"What caliber?"

".22" The nurse spared Shinji a longer look but decided to ignore him for the moment, focusing back on Kensei.

"The bullet hasn't gone through, he needs to operated on" she said, "he's been walking this whole time?"

"Yeah, he was kinda hard to stop" Stark said, earning another harsh glare from the nurse, "hey, I'm just the driver." The headnurse took a second to look at the strange group, trying to understand the situation. Everyone stayed quiet and it was clear they weren't going to grace her with explanations. Finally she gestured for another nurse to bring a stretcher and then pointed at Shinji.

"Take a look at his neck" she told the other nurse, a young girl who looked barely twenty years old, "and book another OR for this one."

"Yes m'am" the girl stuttered and walked over to Shinji. Kisuke wasn't still letting go of him and the nurse tried to gingerly reach to examine the bleeding wound on Shinji's neck.

"Sorry, sir, but I need to…" she said and Shinji gently pushed Kisuke away.

"I'm in good hands, don't worry" he said and smiled at the nurse, who tried to concentrate on the wound.

"You should sit down, could you follow me?" the nurse lead Shinji towards the first aid ward, Kisuke following hot on their heels. Kensei had been lifted on the stretcher and the nurses were hooking him up on drips and putting an oxygen mask on him. The doors at the end of the corridor leading to the operation rooms swung open and a silver-haired man wearing a doctor's coat walked to the lobby. The nurses moved away from Kensei so he could have a look at him.

"This is the gunshot wound?" he asked the head nurse, then noticed Stark still hanging around, "you brought him in?" Stark shuffled his feet awkwardly.

"Yeah, but I, I'm just the driver, I don't really know…He was fine few seconds ago and then he just collapsed."

"The young man was with you as well?"

"Yeah, is he gonna be okay?"

"He's being prepared for a difficult operation, he's already lost a lot of blood and probably has suffered massive damage to his vital organs. I wouldn't be hopeful." The doctor looked back at Kensei still unconscious.

"If you have someone you can call, now would be the time." Stark shuddered at the cold tone with which the words were spoken. The stretched was wheeled out and soon he was alone in the lobby. He noticed the cigarette stub he had put behind his ear was still smoking behind his ear and decided to go enjoy it outside. There was nothing he could do here. _Or anyone to call either. Everyone who cares about that big idiot is already here._

* * *

><p>"Shunsui?" The man spoken to groaned in his sleep, stopping his loud snoring for a second. Beside him in the bed his husband sighed and reached to grab Shunsui's nose between his fingers. He waited for few seconds until Shunsui started to gasp for breath and then finally opened his eyes into thin slits, trying to understand what had disturbed his sleep.<p>

"Wh-what?" Shunsui mumbled and tried to roll over to escape his husband's grasp.

"I think there's someone at the door."

"How do you know it's for me?"

"I don't, and that's why I woke you up." Shunsui sighed and reluctantly threw his legs to the floor, scrambling up from the bed. He was already shuffling towards the bedroom door when his husband stopped him.

"Shunsui" he said with an amused tone, "robe." Shunsui stopped to stare at his better half sitting in bed, his long white hair slightly mussed from sleep and his gaunt but delicate features stretched into a soft smile. The way his eyes scanned Shunsui's body slowly from head to toe and stopped halfway hinted at what he had meant.

"Oh, right" he said and grabbed his robe from the floor where he had left it few hours prior.

"If it's a psychopath robber you'll have to make me breakfast for two weeks" Shunsui said as he tied to robe around his body.

"I make you breakfast every morning." Shunsui frowned as he tried to think of another favor to ask.

"Well, then I can have you for dessert every night for two months" he said with a satisfied grin. Jyushiro tried not to smile but failed.

"Just go see who it is already. They're waking up the children."

"I'm going, I'm going…"

Shunsui stumbled across the darkened apartment and now he could hear the faint knocking on the front door as well. He smiled at Jyushiro's sharp hearing, he had always been a light sleeper.

"Coming, coming" he announced to the mysterious visitor as he started to unlock the door, "Christ, what's the time…" Shunsui opened the door and almost instantly slammed it shut again.

"Shunsui Kyoraku?" Shunsui had to exhale slowly to calm himself, despite the visitor's appearance he didn't strike him as dangerous.

"I am he, yes?" he said, trying to sound calm while talking to a young man almost completely covered in what seemed to be fresh blood. Even his black hair that almost reached to cover his frighteningly big green eyes was streaked with blood, as was his face which was almost as pale as Jyushiro's.

"I need to ask you a favor" the young man said, seemingly unaware of his gruesome appearance.

"Um, do I know you?"

"My name's Ulquiorra Schiffer, I'm with Shuuhei Hisagi. I take it he came to you few days before." Shunsui remembered the gaunt, haunted looking young man who was apparently in league with Kensei. Putting together their mission and the young man's current appearance made Shunsui come to a hideous decision.

"Oh dear God, is Kensei alright? What happened?"

"It's a long story, but I need to make sure Shuuhei's work hasn't been in vain" Ulquiorra said, "I think you could help me with that." Someone flicked on the lights behind Shunsui and they could both hear light footsteps coming down the hall.

"Shunsui, is everything alright?" Jyushiro asked as he walked towards the front door but stopped as he saw a glimpse of Ulquiorra standing on their porch.

"Oh, oh dear" he muttered as he took in the young man's bloodied appearance, "my God, are you alright?"

"It's not mine" Ulquiorra said, and Shunsui and Jyushiro exchanged slightly more worried looks, "at least most of it. Will you help me or not?"

"What's going on, Shunsui?" Jyushiro asked, "I told you not to bring work home anymore."

"He's not…" Shunsui tried but was interrupted.

"Jyushiro Ukitake?" Shunsui and Jyushiro turned back to Ulquiorra hearing him call Jyushiro's name.

"Ah, yes, I am" Jyushiro said, "excuse me, but, how do you know my name?"

"That's not important right now. I take it you know Aizen Sousuke?" Jyushiro and Shunsui looked at each other again, both recognizing the name instantly.

"We know him. What's your problem with him?" Shunsui asked.

"He sent hitmen after me and Shuuhei. He kidnapped Kisuke Urahara's personal assistant Shinji Hirako. He almost killed me and six other people tonight, and he's most likely involved in a huge case of corruption, election fraud, organized crime, drug deals and human trafficking. That's my problem." Jyushiro and Shunsui were quiet after Ulquiorra's explanation.

"Could you give us a second?" Shunsui asked and took Jyushiro to the side.

"So, what do you think?" Jyushiro looked serious, his eyes glancing towards the bloodied young man at their door.

"He sure looks like he's met Aizen personally", Shunsui said "and Shuuhei came to ask me for help just few days earlier. And I promised him."

"Of course you did" Jyushiro said and gave his husband another soft look, "I should've known you promising to help someone would lead to something like this."

"But this could be a chance to actually do something. To blow this thing finally open."

"You think that two tired old men could do that?" Jyushiro asked, but Shunsui could already tell he was hatching up a plan.

"We wouldn't have to be tired anymore if this ends tonight. Think about it. Do you want the children to grow up in a city run by Aizen?" Shunsui took Jyushiro's hand into his.

"C'mon, one last time, together. Do it for me." Jyushiro smiled faintly and squeezed Shunsui's hand.

"Just like old times?"

"Even better. We're not young and stupid anymore."

"No, just stupid."

Ulquiorra waited patiently as the men conversed. He could feel blood trickling down his arms to the porch's white surface. He hadn't managed to catch Aizen or Gin, though he was quite sure Gin wouldn't be using his right arm for quite some time. He had returned to the warehouse after the others had already left and found some of Aizen's bodyguards still there. And still breathing.

Ulquiorra glanced at his bloodied hands and felt a tug at the side of his mouth. Having failed to track down the main culprits he had had to take out his frustrations on someone. Who would've guessed that preparing for medical studies would've come in handy in a situation like this? _Thorough knowledge of the human anatomy makes for very cruel executioner. _Ulquiorra raised his eyes back as Shunsui returned to him.

"Alright, we'll help you out. But we need some time to prepare."

"I understand. I have arrangements to make myself, but I will contact you once they are done." Ulquiorra turned to leave but Jyushiro stopped him.

"I suppose since Shuuhei or Kensei didn't come themselves, they didn't make it out unharmed?" Ulquiorra glanced down at his red-stained clothes.

"No."

"And Aizen got away?" Shunsui asked.

"Yes" Ulquiorra said quietly, flexing his fingers that were sticky with blood, "but this doesn't end tonight." Jyushiro glanced worriedly at Shunsui.

"Do I even want to ask what you're going to do?" Shunsui said. Ulquiorra turned to look at them over his shoulder.

"I wouldn't tell you. It's better you don't know."

"I believe you" Shunsui said, "be careful."

"I'd rather be thorough." Ulquiorra walked away, leaving blood stains on the porch. He disappeared quickly behind the garden fence and Shunsui closed the door once he was certain the young man was gone.

Jyushiro tapped his chin with his fingers when Shunsui turned back to him. He smiled at the sight, he knew that look.

"Any bright ideas yet?" Jyushiro seemed to visibly snap out of his thoughts and graced his husband with another smile.

"A few, maybe." Shunsui rolled his shoulders back, suddenly he didn't feel tired at all.

"You wanna go back to bed?" he asked Jyushiro, though he could guess the answer.

"No, I couldn't sleep anyway. Not after this."

"You think that kid will end up at your reception?" Shunsui asked. Jyushiro was a psychiatrist who specialized in troubled youths and even Shunsui could've deduced with his layman's eye that that kid had some serious issues to deal with.

"I'm not sure I would even want to know what goes on in his head" Jyushiro replied, "but he seemed to be on the right side of things."

"He looked as if he had killed a dozen people with his bare hands, Jyushiro."

"Judging by what he told us, I'd say they deserved it." Shunsui raised an eyebrow at his words. Jyushiro was the gentlest man he knew, but it seemed even he had his limits. And Shunsui had seen him act quite ruthlessly when they had been younger, if someone he cared about had needed protecting._ That might be why he understands that kid. Though I think he took it bit further than just protecting someone. Maybe that's what he meant by being thorough. _Shunsui shuddered just thinking what the cold-blooded young man might've gone off to do. _I just hope the neighbours didn't see him. We get enough weird looks as it is. _

"I'll go check on the children, meet me in the study?" Jyushiro said, pecking a quick kiss on Shunsui's cheek, "We need to think this through together." Shunsui grabbed Jyushiro's shoulder as he turned to go and pulled him back into a proper kiss. Jyushiro gave in quickly and leaned against Shunsui, draping his arms around his hips. Shunsui slid his hand under Jyushiro's robe to feel his bare skin and felt the man's abdominal muscles twitch under his touch. Jyushiro quickly drew away from the kiss and gave Shunsui a scolding look.

"We have work to do." Shunsui grinned and raised his hands in the air.

"Can't blame an old man for trying." Jyushiro scoffed lightly but leaned closer for another quick kiss before heading towards the children's bedrooms. Shunsui walked to their shared study, a spacious room whose walls were covered with book shelves and dark wooden panels. The soft, thick carpets muffled the sound of his footsteps as he walked to the small bar cabinet and poured out two glasses of whiskey. Tasting the strong burning alcohol Shunsui felt his senses sharpening, the last bits of sleep fell from his mind.

"Just like old times" he said to himself as he waited for Jyushiro to join him. Despite having sworn off from his past he felt surprisingly excited. He had also noticed how easy it had been to persuade Jyushiro to join in, figuring it to be a sign that the saying 'an old dog doesn't learn new tricks' might ring true after all. _One last time, _Shunsui thought, picturing Ulquiorra standing on their porch covered in blood. _It might take the past twenty years to catch up with you, but apparently it does it eventually. _Jyushiro quietly entered the study and Shunsui took another look at his husband. He could immediately see the look in his eyes had changed, it was the same look he had worn twenty years ago on nights like this. _I hadn't even noticed how much I missed it. _

Jyushiro took his own glass and sat down into a leathery armchair, looking up at Shunsui.

"So, like old times." Shunsui smiled and looked out the window at the beginning of a sunrise.

"Just like old times."

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><p><em>Happy couples everywhere…Except for our main characters. You have to wait the news on Shuuhei for bit longer, maybe he'll have amnesia and won't remember Kensei at all? Like in that movie with the stripper…Rambling now, moving on! <em>


	25. Chapter 25

_**Jaysus, I hadn't even realized there were so many chapters already. Let's try to keep it from going over thirty, mmmkay? Probably won't happen though.**_

_**Also, few people expressed their concern over the amnesia- thing I mentioned in the last chapter, I was only kidding. Then I started thinking could someone get amnesia from being shot in the stomach? I need to have my own medical advisor.**_

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><p><strong>Chapter 25. <strong>

The first thing Shuuhei realized when his consciousness slowly came back was that everything hurt. There was a deep pit of pure pain in his stomach which resonated down his legs and up his chest and arms. Shuuhei groaned and tried to tighten his hands into fists, but every move he made caused another jab of pain to slam his whole body, every nerve felt like it was exposed and being prodded with a scalpel. He was faintly aware of sounds around him and then something warm moved down the veins on his arm. After the initial warmth he felt a cold shudder wreck his body and his teeth clattered together. But it soon passed and suddenly he couldn't feel anything at all. Even his head felt light and empty and Shuuhei felt extremely tired, as if being awake for less than a minute had exhausted all of his energy. He fell into deep sleep that felt more like blacking out than resting. Either way, the next time he woke up everything around him was dark. But the pain was now gone, or at least subdued to a level he could withstand.

Shuuhei spend a moment just to realize his surroundings. He could hear the faint beeping of machines and felt tubes going into his nose and a drip attached to his hand. But trying to remember how he had gotten there was still out of his reach. The pain in his abdomen was a good clue and slowly he began to trace his steps. _We were...At the warehouse. _Shuuhei remembered the tangible smell of gunpowder and blood, then seeing Aize_n _with Shinji, and that little creepy aid of his. He remembered waiting and then feeling strangely calm and distant all the sudden, like he had been detached from the situation. Shuuhei remembered faintly feeling invincible and certain, the weight of the knife in his hand and being sure he could do it. But the next memory was of Kensei's face, twisted into a horrifying look of pain and panic, and being held so tightly Shuuhei had been sure his ribs had cracked. That would've been a preferable explanation for the pain, but Shuuhei doubted few cracked ribs would've rendered him unconscious and put him to a hospital bed.

There was the sound of a door quietly sliding open and a ray of light slipped into the room. Shuuhei tried to turn his head but noticed that still any major moving caused him sharp pain. He moaned from the pain and heard quick footsteps coming closer. Shuuhei felt a hand on his forehead and then the now familiar feeling of warmth on his arm.

"Wait, I-" Shuuhei started, knowing the medicine would knock him out again. He had to know about the others, he had an image in his head about Ikkaku running at Gin and Ulquiorra wearing a look that still made him shiver. Suddenly Shuuhei felt a terrible dread fill his mind as he remembered the sound of a gunshot just before Kensei had grabbed him and then his body jerking. _Oh God...Oh God_, _no, please, please no..._

"Shhh, take it easy. Rest" the disembodied voice told him. Shuuhei tried to answer but already he felt his consciousness slipping away and soon there was just the familiar darkness. But this time Shuuhei's mind was filled with the smell of blood and Kensei's voice telling him something he couldn't hear.

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><p>Ryuuken Ishida had locked himself inside his office after finishing his surgeries for the day. He didn't usually even perform operations these days, but on special cases, like tonight's two patients, he made an exception. He had assigned Dr. Kurotsuchi on the other patient, despite his strong opposition, and taken the young journalist as his own special case. Even the nurses had seemed slightly surprised by his sudden interest on this case, but had managed to mask their puzzlement well enough so he wouldn't have to discipline them later. After the long and demanding operation Ryuuken had retreated into his office and was currently lounging in his comfortable office chair. He had opened the window and was smoking a cigarette, ignoring the hospital's non-smoking policy and enjoyed the sunrise.<p>

He had just thrown the stub out of the open window when there was a knock on his door. Ryuuken frowned and glanced at the clock on his wall. He didn't have any appointments on his calendar until ten and he had a strong policy on not being disturbed unless it was personal or extremely important. The first one never occurred and the second was so rare the staff had probably forgotten about it altogether. Out of pure curiosity he went to the door and unlocked it. Poking his head from the crack, he saw one of the younger nurses standing in the hallway.

"Yes?" The nurse seemed timid, she wrung her hands in her scrubs, trying to avoid looking Ryuuken in the eye.

"Um, sir, I'm really sorry to bother you, but there are some men who came to visit the young gunshot wound patient. I told them the visiting hours are during the day but they refused to listen, and..." The nurse's explanation was cut short as Ryuuken pushed past her into the hallway and headed towards the lobby. The nurse rushed after him.

"Sir, I tried to explain to them, I really did..."

"I will handle the situation, you can go back to your duties" Ryuuken said as he came to the elevators and pressed the call-button. He frowned as he realized the young nurse was still standing next to him.

"Was there something else?"

"Umm..."

"Speak up, girl, I haven't got all morning."

"Just that they asked if he's going to be okay, and I didn't know what to tell them..." Ryuuken stared at her in silence, not understanding where she was getting at.

"I told you I'll handle this. They can ask me if they need to know something."

"Yes sir, I heard you, but...I was wondering myself, is he going to make it."

"Oh. I see." Ryuuken kept his emotions out of his work, which basically meant he was accustomed to not expressing almost any emotions ever. That was why he didn't understand why the nurse would be worried about a random stranger, especially working in the emergency room where she saw badly injured people every day.

"The surgery was successful, but he has suffered massive blood loss and organ damage. He needs to be kept at rest for at least three to four days so his body will have time to heal itself. If he's willing to fight and is strong enough, he might make full recovery."

"So...It's too early to say?"

"Exactly." The nurse nodded and then took a step back as the elevator rang.

"Thank you, sir. I hope he makes it."

"Don't we all."

When Ryuuken arrived to the lobby, he immediately recognized the visitors the nurse had told him about. Four young men were occupying the few seats in the lobby, all expressing different stages of anxiety. One of them was pacing around the lobby, tearing out his hair, another one was sitting in one of the chairs, his feet tapping nervously against the floor. The two others were talking to each other in hushed voices, looking equally nervous. They were all in their twenties, about the same age as Shuuhei. _Same age as my own son. _For a second Ryuuken had a vision of his own estranged son in Shuuhei's position. The thought was quickly erased from his mind, even if Ryuuken hadn't talked to his son in years he was pretty sure Uryuu wouldn't do something like this.

Ryuuken approached the men, the first one to notice him was the one with jetblack hair wearing a wrinkled suit, talking to the one whose hair was disturbingly bright orange. Ryuuken recognized them, first one from the papers and second one as the son of his old friend. _Or acquaintance more like. Hope he isn't as big a pain as his father. _The suited man unfolded his surprisingly long body from the chair and walked up to Ryuuken. The other three followed right behind him, Ryuuken eyed the group for a second. _What boyband is this? _

"Doctor?" the suited one asked him.

"Obviously" Ryuuken replied, "I heard you've come about your friend."

"Yeah, Shuuhei Hisagi, I'm his emergency contact" the suited one said and reached into his pocket for his ID, "Kaien Shiba, and these are his friends too."

"Yes, I recognized you. And you too, Ichigo." The orange-topped young man flinched and Ryuuken feigned a smiled, of course Isshin hadn't told his son about him.

"I knew your father once. Anyway, the visiting hours are during the day so I'd appreciate if you didn't harass my nurses and came back in a more reasonable hour."

"We're not leaving until we see him" urged the one who looked like a drug dealer with his long red hair and strange jagged-edged tattoos. Ryuuken raised an eyebrow at him, if they thought they could intimidate him into allowing them inside, they were seriously mistaken.

"Threats will not help you, young man, quite the contrary." Isshin's son grabbed his friend's arm.

"Renji, calm down" he said and turned to Ryuuken, "can you at least tell us how he is?"

"Yes, please" Kaien added. Ryuuken was quiet for a moment before walking to the nurses' station and asked for Shuuhei's file. He knew it by heart but figured these men needed something more convincing.

"He was brought here at three AM this morning with a gunshot wound in his abdomen and a considerable blood loss. He was unconscious and unresponsive at the time and was rushed to surgery, where we did our best to repair the damages to his organs, mainly intestines and his aorta. His liver was also damaged but considering the circumstances it could've been worse. The operation was successful and now we're keeping him in a light drug-infused coma to give his body a chance to rest and repair itself."

Ryuuken flipped the file shut and looked at the suddenly very silent young men. Ichigo had slapped a hand over his mouth, Kaien had grabbed him by the shoulder and his knuckles were turning white. The other two were pacing around again, the one called Renji and the fourth one who looked equally strange with his overgrown blue hair and biceps about the bulge out of his shirt.

"So he is still alive?" he asked Ryuuken, glaring at him with his steely blue eyes. When he talked his mouth widened and revealed much of his teeth.

"Yes, technically" Ryuuken said, "we're not sure if he's body is going to make it, damage severe as this takes its toll and despite technically being sown back together we might've been too late."

"Who brought him here? Who was with him when he came in?" Kaien asked.

"You're only Shuuhei's emergency contact, you don't need to know of the other patients."

"So they were others hurt as well?" Renji said, "What the hell happened?"

"I would hesitate to guess, knowing the nature of Shuuhei's work it would be best not to interfere. You might end up like him." Shuuhei's friends were quiet again.

"Hey, what about Ulquiorra? He might know something" Ichigo finally said.

"Grimmjow, give him a call." The blue-haired young man dug out a phone from his pocket and distanced himself from the others to make the call. Kaien turned to Ryuuken, looking somewhat apologetic.

"Thanks doc, we really appreciate this. When can we see him, do you have any idea when he'll wake up?"

"The nurses will inform you once he's ready to take guests. But I wouldn't hold my breath" Ryuuken said and with that he left them standing in the lobby. Renji, Ichigo and Kaien stared at each other as Grimmjow waited for Ulquiorra to pick up.

"Damn idiot, where is he..." he muttered as the line kept beeping, "fucking-"

"Yes, what is it?" Grimmjow almost dropped the phone as Ulquiorra's monotone finally answered.

"Fucking Christ man, where the fuck are you?"

"I'm running errands."

"Well fuck that and get your ass to the hospital, Shuuhei's been shot!"

"I know."

"You- wait, what?" The others had swarmed behind Grimmjow and tried to listen to what Ulquiorra said.

"I know he's been shot, I was there."

"You were- what the fuck is going on Ulquiorra?!" Kaien snatched the phone from Grimmjow.

"Ulquiorra, where the hell are you?" Ulquiorra sighed at the other end of the line, he was currently in no place to talk and explain.

"I have some things I need to arrange, important things. Things Shuuhei would've wanted me to do."

"Since when have you cared about Shuuhei?" The line was silent for a minute. Kaien glanced at his friends.

"Way to go, jerk" Renji said.

"Ulquiorra, you still there?" The line crackled and for a second Kaien was sure Ulquiorra had hung up on them. But then finally he replied.

"Yes."

"Is there something we could do?" There was another heavy silence and Kaien squeezed the phone in his hand.

"Actually there is. Could you meet me somewhere?"

"Yeah sure, where are you now?"

"I can't say. But I'll meet you at your apartment in an hour."

"Okay, we'll be there. Take care." Kaien heard the line click as Ulquiorra hung up and turned to his friends.

"So, what now?" Renji asked.

"I don't know, I just said we'd meet him back at our flat." Grimmjow rolled his eyes.

"I don't even wanna fucking know, just give me names and I'll beat the shit out of the guy who's responsible for this."

"Those guys, whoever they are, almost killed Shuuhei. You think you could take them on?" Ichigo asked. Grimmjow gave him a wide smirk.

"Fuck yeah I could. What, you scared, Ichi?"

"As if" Ichigo scoffed, "just don't want to be the one who has to save your stupid ass from getting shot by the mobsters."

"Alright, just calm down, everybody" Renji said, pushing the two apart, "let's just get back to the flat and hear what Ulquiorra has to say. He's not gonna send us to kill anyone."

"How do you know?"

"It's Ulquiorra, for God's sake, can you imagine him killing anybody?" The four men stopped to think about it for a second.

"Nah" Grimmjow was the first to say, "he couldn't."

"I'm not so sure" Kaien said slowly, "he has that 'silent but deadly'- thing going on." Ichigo snorted.

"You got the silent part right, but I wouldn't know about deadly."

"Let's just get going and hear what he has to say. I can't just stand around when Shuuhei's lying in a coma" Renji snapped.

"Fine, let's get a move on. I'm dying to hear what he has to say" Kaien said and herded them out of the hospital. As soon as they had left, a man in a dark green suit appeared from behind a corner. Kisuke sighed as he scratched his head, he had thought about going to them and explaining things but he guessed it was better if they heard everything from someone they knew. Besides, after hearing about his personal gain they might've not been so friendly.

Kisuke glanced at his watch, it was still too early to visit Kensei or Shuuhei but he couldn't stay put either. Shinji had told him to avoid being seen, fearing Aizen might sent his hitmen after them. Shinji himself was busy arranging protection for their employees, he had emptied their office and had apparently herded everyone somewhere underground to lay low until things were sorted. Kisuke would've preferred to do it himself but Shinji had told him he needed to be at the hospital in case someone came after Kensei or Shuuhei.

Kisuke almost laughed at the idea. He knew the owner of the hospital, and doubted even Aizen would dare to step on his turf. Ryuuken Ishida was not a man to mess with, and he also employed some very scary people. _That reminds me, I should_ _visit an old friend. _Kisuke hummed out a pleasant tune as he walked down the corridors, trying to spot a familiar name from the doors he passed by.

"Ah, here!" Kisuke didn't even bother knocking before he opened the door and strutted inside, "hello there, Mayuri, my old man!" Sitting at the computer Dr. Kurotsuchi almost bit his tongue in half as he heard the familiar voice calling him by his first name. He whirled around in his chair, face already twisted into a grimace before he even saw Kisuke standing at the door. Kisuke was smiling broadly as always, his shaggy hair looked even worse kept than the last time Mayuri had seen him. He had kindled the hope that the man had finally got himself killed but of course the bastard's luck would never run out for something like that to happen.

"Urahara" he hissed and quickly turned back to his computer, "what are you doing here?"

"Just wanted to see an old friend" Kisuke said, strolling around the small room, "you seem to be doing well."

"I thought you came here because you got two of your friends shot." Kisuke stopped and turned to Mayuri.

"You haven't changed at all, have you."

"You obviously haven't either, from what I hear. Playing with people's lives, as usual" Mayuri said as glanced at Kisuke over his shoulder, "I would've thought you would've learned your lesson by now."

"Guess I'm a slow learner."

"If you wanna call it that. I would've gone with pompous, ignorant, over-confident and greedy."

"Are we still talking about me or did we move onto you?" The two men stared at each other waiting for another to give in and finally Kisuke sighed and tilted his head back in exasperation.

"Can we not go through this every time we see each other?"

"I told you I never wanted to see your face ever again. This is my way of reinforcing that statement."

"Mayuri..."

"Shut up! Don't try to be so buddy-buddy with me, Urahara. You don't have the right."

"Alright, sorry..." Mayuri turned his back to Kisuke again, ignoring his sad eyes.

"Can you at least tell me how Kensei is?"

"Oh that cop friend of yours who got shot in the back? Oddly appropriate, I'd say..." Kisuke was right behind Mayuri in few quick steps and placed his hand lightly on his shoulder.

"Insult me however you want, but my friends are off limits. Remember what happened last time?" Mayuri shook Kisuke's hand off but complied.

"The surgery was more complicated then we had expected, parts of his insides were so scarred already that further damage to them could prove fatal. We just have to wait and see."

"Scarred? From what?"

"What would you guess? He's a cop, clearly he's been injured before. I counted three old gunshots wounds in his torso alone, and some interesting scarring on his extremities as well." Kisuke frowned. He hadn't been aware that Kensei had been wounded so badly before, though of course he might've guessed. Kensei wasn't the type of police officer who enjoyed desk work, he probably preferred getting shot to doing paperwork.

"But that means he's been through this before, why wouldn't he make it this time?"

"I told you, the body can repair itself only so many times before the organs start failing. He's been lucky before, I wouldn't count on that lasting much longer" Mayuri said coldly and glanced at the computer screen, "I'm going to check up on him soon, the next few hours are critical. Either he makes it or not."

"What are the odds?" Kisuke asked. Mayuri got up from his chair and grabbed his white coat from the coat rack.

"About 30-70, every hour he stays alive improves his chances. But it's still a long shot that he'd make full recovery."

"He can still walk? The shot didn't paralyze him?" Kisuke asked as he followed Mayuri out of the office.

"No, there he got lucky again. Few millimeters to the left and his spine would've been cut in half. But he didn't really do himself a favor by moving around so much after the shot, the bullet had torn quite a path inside him by the time he finally collapsed. A weaker man would've probably died."

Kisuke shuddered, both from the gruesome mental image and the realization of what a beast of a man Kensei was. He was quite sure Kensei had been able to stay on his feet for so long because of Shuuhei, Kisuke had never before seen him act so fiercely, and that was saying something. Kisuke was certain that once Kensei got back to his feet, he'd find Gin and Aizen and make them pay dearly for what they had done. He wasn't sure whether he wanted to be there to witness it.

Mayuri finally stopped at one of the anonymous doors and swiped his ID- card on the reader next to the door. The machine beeped and the lock clicked open. Mayuri pushed the door open and stepped inside. Kisuke erred a second before following in suit, hoping he wouldn't regret it. He had seen enough depressing sights that day.

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><p><em>Lots of side characters making their appearance again while our heroes are incapacitated. Their fates will soon be decided, don't you worry. Or maybe you should.<em>


	26. Chapter 26

_**Little more drama on this one, but worry not, we'll almost through with it.**_

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><p><strong>Chapter 26.<strong>

"Is he...Is he awake?"

"He should be regaining consciousness anytime soon."

"You sure he's gonna be alright? In the brain department I mean?"

"There are no known cases of brain damage caused by gunshot wounds in the abdomen, so I would say yes."

"What about shock? You think he can remember everything?"

"We can't say anything before he wakes up."

"Shuuhei? Can you hear me buddy?"

"He won't wake up like that, let me...Oi Shuuhei, snap out of it!"

"Don't shake him, you idiot! He's injured!"

"He wakes when the medicine wears out, we just have to wait it out."

"Meaning, sit your asses down and be cool."

"Fine, fine..."

Ryuuken checked Shuuhei's vitals as his friends finally sat down on the small chairs arranged around the hospital bed. Once the nurses had called Kaien that Shuuhei would be taken off the medicine that kept him unconscious, the whole group had come back within minutes and refused to leave. They had been harassing the nurses every time they had visited Shuuhei and finally Ryuuken had taken it upon himself to check up on him until he woke up. He glanced at his wrist watch, it shouldn't take long anymore. Shuuhei had recovered relatively quickly due to his young age and good health, and would most likely be back on his feet within few weeks. Kensei, on the other hand...

Dr Kurotsuchi had briefed Ryuuken on the sergeant's condition, he wasn't showing any signs of improvement even days after the operation. The prior damage to his vital organs had been more extensive than they had previously thought and the fear of massive organ failure was still on the cards. Ryuuken had figured that Kensei would be able to fight back with sheer force of will, but it started to look like harsh reality would win instead.

Renji leaned back on his chair, raising it on its hind legs.

"How long has it been already?" Kaien looked at his watch.

"Almost two hours now." Grimmjow scoffed, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees.

"Are you sure he's gonna wake up at all?" Ichigo threw a harsh glare at him.

"Don't say stuff like that, he can hear you."

"I don't think so, he'd already woken up to kick my ass if he heard me." The four perked up as they heard the room's door opening. A thin young man with sleek black hair and pale skin entered the room, acknowledging the others' presence with a quick glance before shuffling towards Shuuhei's bed. He looked at Shuuhei's face, his bony chest rose and fell but that was the only movement that still let them know he was still alive.

"He should wake up soon" Kaien said as Ulquiorra stood quietly beside the bed.

"He should be alright" Ichigo added.

"I know that" Ulquiorra said, "but he'll be fine only until he wakes up." His friends shared a confused look.

"What do you mean?" Renji asked.

"Kensei hasn't woken up yet, has he?" Ulquiorra said and turned to Ryuuken. He shook his head with a severe expression on his face.

"No, he hasn't."

"How does that affect him?" Grimmjow said.

"Emotional trauma" Ulquiorra said before anyone else had a chance to reprimand Grimmjow for being emotionally crippled, "the shock might cause him to crash again if he hears Kensei won't wake up."

"You're kidding, right?" Renji scoffed but quieted down as Ulquiorra stared at him with his disturbingly intense eyes.

"Then we just don't mention him, wouldn't that be enough?" Ichigo said.

"It will be the first thing he asks" Ulquiorra said, "and when you don't say anything, he can add together two plus two."

"Well what do you suggest then? That we just lie to him? Not having him wake up before we know whether Kensei will make it or not?"

"Doctor" Kaien said, "is that true?" Ryuuken pushed his glasses up on the bridge of his nose before answering, looking at Ulquiorra with slight curiosity. _Smart kid. Wonder what he's doing with this crowd. _Ryuuken had to congratulate Shuuhei on his choice of friends though, having someone like Ulquiorra on your side might've been tedious and annoying but it was obviously worth it.

"It is a possibility, yes. Emotional trauma is known to cause sudden relapse in a patient and is very hard to treat if the cause of the trauma is the death of a loved one."

"So, what do we do then? What's up with Kensei?" Ichigo asked, his eyes darting between Shuuhei and the doctor.

"He had suffered prior damage to his vital organs, which makes his recovery more difficult than we had anticipated" Ryuuken said.

"What's the prediction?"

"He should have improved by now. If he doesn't wake up soon, he might suffer brain damage."

"Can't you guys do anything? You're fucking doctors!" Grimmjow snapped at Ryuuken, slamming his fists on his thighs.

"The only thing we could do would be replacing the old organs with new ones, and the wait for new donor organs would take at least six months. It would be far too late."

"He...He's not waking up?" Shuuhei's weak voice made everyone turn to him. His eyes were opened into thin slits and he seemed barely conscious. Everyone stayed quiet, not wanting to be the one to tell him the bad news, but the looks on their faces answered his question.

"Oh God" Shuuhei gasped, a strangling feeling around his throat. He started to tear off the IV from his arm and the tubes from his nose but was stopped quickly as Ulquiorra grabbed his arms. Renji pressed his legs down as he started to kick the covers off. Kaien stepped closer and stroked his head.

"Shuuhei, calm down, please" he said softly, pushing the hair from his eyes, "it's gonna be okay, just breathe."

"Let me see him!" Shuuhei demanded as he trashed on the bed, "I need to..." A fit of cough forced Shuuhei to lay back to the bed, his friends still holding onto him.

"Shuuhei, we just have to wait" Kaien continued, "everything will be okay, take it easy."

"No, I have to see him" Shuuhei argued, "please, I need to see him before..." Tears welled up in Shuuhei's eyes and Kaien felt his heart sink.

"Shuuhei, I'm...I'm so sorry." Shuuhei's eyes snapped to him and Kaien almost flinched at the fierce look in his eyes.

"He's NOT DEAD! HE'S NOT!" Kaien stepped back and Renji let go of Shuuhei's legs as he screamed at them. His voice sounded strange, nothing like they had ever heard. Only Ulquiorra stayed by him, he had already hooked the IV back to his arm and tucked the oxygen tubes back to his nose. Shuuhei tried to slap his hands away but Ulquiorra didn't budge.

"Ulquiorra, please let me see him" Shuuhei said, grabbing his arm, "please, I need to know he's going to make it." Shuuhei's friends tensed, they waited for Ulquiorra to say something emotionless and crude about Kensei already being as good as dead straight to Shuuhei's face, as he normally would have. But to their surprise, Ulquiorra looked at Shuuhei silently and then pulled his hands back.

"I'll take you to him." Ryuuken frowned but said nothing.

"Is that okay?" Kaien asked him.

"I don't care if it's not" Shuuhei was quick to say, "I'll crawl to him if I need to."

"Fine, you pig-headed idiot!" Renji said, throwing his hands in the air, "I'll carry you myself if you really want to see him." Shuuhei stared at Renji, who answered to his questioning gaze with a cock of an eyebrow. Shuuhei's gaunt face melted into a smile.

"Thank you, Renji." Renji blinked slowly and then smiled back, reaching to nudge Shuuhei on the shoulder with his knuckles.

"No problem, Shuu."

* * *

><p>Renji pushed Shuuhei in a wheelchair along the long corridors, Ryuuken was walking ahead of them. Ulquiorra walked by Shuuhei's side, like a gloomy guardian angel. The rest of their friends followed few steps behind.<p>

"You think this is a good idea?" Ichigo asked Kaien.

"Fuck me it's not" Grimmjow put in, "didn't you see the look in his eyes? He's gonna lose it any second now."

"Shut it" Kaien said, "he's been through hell already and he's still here. He's lot tougher than you give him credit." Grimmjow pulled his shoulders up, tucking his hands into his pockets.

"Grimm just feels bad he wasn't there to protect Shuuhei" Ichigo said with a taunting smile.

"Blow me, Ichi."

Ryuuken stopped at a seemingly anonymous door and opened it with his ID card. As they stepped inside, they saw a single hospital bed and a man wearing a doctor's white coat standing beside it. He turned around as soon as he heard them coming in and gave them a suspicious look.

"What is the meaning of this?" Dr. Kurotsuchi snapped at the intruders.

"The patient has come to visit his friend" Ryuuken told him, "I saw no reason for him not to."

"There's nothing to see here" Kurotsuchi huffed as tucked the file in his hand under his arm, "he's still showing no signs of regaining consciousness though the anesthetics have worn out days ago." Shuuhei flinched at his words and wrapped his arms around himself. Renji placed his hand on his shoulder.

"It's okay, Shuu. It's gonna be okay."

Ulquiorra had walked up to Kensei and was looking at the machines recording his vitals. His heartbeat was steady but slow, and his other vitals were barely at normal limits. Renji wheeled Shuuhei right next to the bed so he could see Kensei's face. His own face was a mixed mask of fear and anguish as he stared at Kensei lying motionless on the bed. Kaien grabbed Ichigo by the shoulder and turned him towards the door.

"Maybe we should leave them alone." Grimmjow was already out the door and the others quickly followed. Ryuuken grabbed Kurotsuchi by the arm and almost dragged him out despite his protests. Ulquiorra was the last to leave. He stopped to look at Shuuhei, who hadn't even moved and kept looking at Kensei with widened eyes.

"He's going to survive this." Shuuhei turned to Ulquiorra who was standing at the foot of the bed.

"You both will." Before Shuuhei could answer Ulquiorra walked out, closing the door behind him.

Shuuhei stayed quiet for a minute or so after the others had left. He tried to clear his throat and gingerly reached to touch Kensei's hand. It felt cold under his touch, and heavy. Shuuhei forced his fingers between Kensei's and felt a lump in his throat as the formerly warm and strong hands felt so lifeless. Breathing suddenly felt hard, as if someone was clutching their hands around his throat.

"Um, hi" Shuuhei said weakly, "I'm sorry I didn't come sooner. I don't think I really should be here now, the doctors didn't seem happy...But Ulquiorra forced them to let me here, he's...Different, somehow. I'm not sure why, but there's something...I don't know." Shuuhei knew he was rambling and saying all the wrong things, but he couldn't bring himself to say anything profound. He wanted to talk about inane stuff, it made him feel like this wasn't the last time he could talk to Kensei. He didn't want to have to say goodbye. _After all this...After everything, after how far we made it... It can't end like this, in this cold room with no light and empty walls, all alone in a strange bed. _Shuuhei bit down on his lower lip, trying to keep talking and stop himself from crying.

"I...I think you saved me. And I don't really know how to feel about that...I'm grateful, but seeing you like this because of that-"

Shuuhei's voice cracked and he raised his hand to his mouth, he could feel tears running down his face already.

"I'm so sorry" Shuuhei sobbed, squeezing Kensei's hand as hard as he could, "I should have never...I wish I'd never known you, then you'd still be fine. You wouldn't be here-" Shuuhei bit down on his fist, trying to hold back the sobs that wrecked his still weakened body. He slammed his hand against the bed, glaring angrily at Kensei's face through the burning tears.

"You should have let me die! You idiot! Why did you do it?! Why couldn't you just..." Shuuhei lowered his head and drew his hands back, pressing his face into them. He swayed gently back and forth in his wheelchair though the moving caused waves of pain emanate from his abdomen.

"You idiot, why...Why did you do this?! Why did...Why did you leave me?" Shuuhei wiped his face into his arm and reached for Kensei's hand again.

"I don't care what happens to me, or anything else! I just want...I just want you here. Please, Kensei...You can't, you can't leave me!" Shuuhei's head hung low and the tears stained his hospital gown.

"Please, anything else...Anything else..." Shuuhei didn't know how much time passed as he held onto Kensei's hand and cried, he couldn't stop the tears even if he tried. He started to feel sick from all the crying, his head hurt and his stomach heaved, straining the stitches. But that was nothing compared to the pain that was searing through his whole being, the vast empty pit inside him that kept growing with each tear he shed. His mind kept reeling memories of Kensei and the last few months, and every single memory only made his tears taste bitterer. _I hadn't given him anything, shown him anything...I never even got to say..._

Finally Shuuhei managed to calm himself so he could sit back up and thought of calling Ulquiorra to take him back to his room, he felt worn out and wanted to be alone. But when he tried to pull his hands back, he couldn't. Shuuhei blinked the tears from his eyes and turned to look at Kensei's face. He almost yelled as he saw Kensei looking back at him, wearing a faint, tired smile. He was holding onto Shuuhei's hands, weakly but still.

"Leaving already?"

Shuuhei's mouth opened and closed but no words came out. Slowly his face turned into a smile and a quiet laughter bubbled from his lips. His laughter grew until he was laughing so hard he almost fell off the wheelchair. Kensei smiled back at him, though he had never felt this exhausted in his life. Shuuhei's laughter made him feel better than any medicine.

Shuuhei was starting to get short of breath and his laughter turned into gasps for air, his hands still squeezing Kensei's. Suddenly the door opened and a familiar face peeked inside. Ulquiorra glanced at Shuuhei still fighting for breath and gave Kensei a meaningful look, not looking even slightly surprised. Kensei frowned. _That bastard kid...Way too smart for his own good. _

The door was pushed wide open and a group of people rammed themselves inside. Kensei recognized Shuuhei's friends, but the doctor who came after them seemed unfamiliar.

Shuuhei turned to his friends, his face split into the widest of smiles.

"I told you" he said to them. Renji was the first to smile back and he hugged Shuuhei tightly.

"I know you did. And you were right, as always." Ichigo looked relieved and smiled widely as he stepped behind Shuuhei and wrapped his arms around his bony shoulders.

"It's good to hear you laugh again, Shuu." Kensei suddenly felt a pang of pain on his chest and grimaced. Shuuhei's laughter immediately died and he tried to scramble up from his chair, only to fall down on his knees.

"Shuuhei!" Renji was quick to grab Shuuhei by slipping his arms under his armpits and heaved him to his feet. Shuuhei didn't even seem to notice.

"Kensei, are you-"

"I'm just fine, kid, keep your pants on" Kensei said. He knew the pain he had felt hadn't been caused by his physical condition, it was pure guilt writhing inside his chest. Shuuhei stared at him blankly and then glanced down at himself.

"But...I'm not wearing any" he said, earning a shocked expression from Renji, who stuck his arms out to hold Shuuhei at arm's length from himself. Grimmjow burst into laughter, as did Ichigo and even Kaien chuckled quietly. Ulquiorra didn't seem amused, he was staring out of the window. The doctor was equally unimpressed and gestured Renji to place Shuuhei back into his wheelchair.

"You have both strained yourselves too much already, if you want to get out of here one day you must stay calm, and in bed rest."

"I want to stay here with him" Shuuhei insisted, grabbing Kensei's hand again. Ryuuken narrowed his eyes at them and was about to say no when Ulquiorra spoke up.

"Let him stay. It's easier to keep an eye on them when they're in the same room."

"Oh right, I can take the first shift" Renji said. When both Kensei and Shuuhei gave him weird looks, he explained.

"Ulquiorra told us to guard you guys while you're still in the hospital. That Aizen guy might send someone to finish you off." Grimmjow cracked his knuckles.

"I'd like to see them try."

"You...Guys" Shuuhei mumbled as his eyes darted between Ulquiorra and the rest of his friends, "you...You told them?"

"I figured we need all the people we can get to see this through, and they were more than willing to help" Ulquiorra said, "Yumichika and Ikkaku are keeping themselves busy elsewhere, and Kisuke and Shinji need to take care of the political side of things."

"Yumichika...They are all alright? They made it?" Shuuhei asked, trying to comprehend everything and remember the last time he had even seen them. He felt a twinge of guilt for not even asking about them sooner, his worry for Kensei had taken over his mind completely.

"Yes, you were the only ones who suffered serious injuries." Kensei groaned and rolled his eyes.

"Figures, I'll never hear the end of this from Shinji." He glanced at Shuuhei with a slight frown.

"Being your bodyguard has been my worst mission yet."

"But a successful one", Ichigo put in, smiling at Kensei as he glared daggers at him.

"Alright, this is quite enough already" Ryuuken interrupted them, "I'll have a nurse put another bed in here so Shuuhei can stay, but only on the condition that you do not stress each other. That means not leaving your bed or any other types of physical strain until your bodies are sufficiently healed. If you want to keep living, that is an order." Shuuhei didn't mind Ryuuken harsh orders, he couldn't keep the smile off his face as he looked at Kensei. Even though he looked exhausted, his skin was pale and his eyes dim, Shuuhei had never been happier to see him.

"And the visiting hours are over" Ryuuken added, looking at Shuuhei's friends meaningfully over the rim of his glasses.

"Well I'm staying, I can make camp in the hallway" Renji said, "who's coming after me?"

"I'll do it" Ichigo volunteered, "and Grimm can come after me and Kaien takes the night shift."

"Who died and made you boss?" Grimmjow scoffed, "But alright, fine. What about Ulquiorra? What are you doing now?"

"I still have issues that need my attention, but I will come back once we're at a point where we need Shuuhei's help" he said, earning a confused look from the said young man.

"What are you planning? What is going on?"

"You'll see" Kaien said with a crooked smile as he reached to tousle Shuuhei's hair, "you just take it easy now, we got this from here."

"I always said you were an idiot for trying to do everything on your own" Renji said as Ryuuken escorted them out of the room, "we're stepping up to the plate."

"But wha- what? Why, how? Guys-"

"Wait and see!" Renji said just before the door was closed after him, leaving Kensei and Shuuhei alone.

Shuuhei looked at Kensei, his fingers wrapping around his hand. It still felt cold and heavy, but there was part of his old strength in his grip.

"I...I thought you wouldn't" he stammered but again his words were cut off by the tears welling in his eyes. Kensei squeezed his hand gently.

"I know. I'm sorry."

"No, don't be, it's not your fault" Shuuhei said, "you saved me, don't apologize for that."

"You sounded pretty upset about it." Shuuhei felt his cheeks flush, he felt strangely embarrassed by falling apart like that though he had meant every word.

"You heard that?"

"Partly, yeah." Shuuhei's blush deepened, he tried to think if he had said anything utterly stupid during his rant. Kensei reached his other hand to stroke Shuuhei's face.

"It's alright kid, I don't think anyone's been that angry with me before. Not for dying at least." Shuuhei tried to smile but the tears kept forcing themselves out. Kensei wiped few of them off with his thumb as they fell down Shuuhei's cheeks.

"I was so scared" Shuuhei said in a small voice, "I didn't know if...If I could ever talk to you again, I didn't want to say goodbye."

"You don't have to. I'll be fine. I promise." Shuuhei managed to smile again as he took Kensei's hand into his and kissed his fingers.

"You promised you wouldn't get hurt."

"And you promised you wouldn't do anything stupid."

"Touché." After a short silence Kensei gently pulled his hands back and shifted on the bed, moving his body closer to the edge. He pushed the covers aside and patted the space next to him.

"Get in." Shuuhei frowned as he thought whether he'd have the strength to climb into the bed or would he just fall to the floor again. Kensei shuffled up on the bed and reached his arms to him.

"Come on."

Shuuhei grabbed Kensei's arms and slowly pulled himself up from the wheelchair. Kensei slowly pulled him closer, but Shuuhei's legs gave out and he fell to the bed, smacking his face on Kensei's chest. He could hear Kensei's low laughter resonating in his chest as he managed to yank Shuuhei's whole body into bed.

"That went well" Shuuhei said as Kensei tucked him inside the covers.

"Stop complaining."

"I'm not complaining." Kensei wrapped his arms around Shuuhei and pulled him to his chest. Shuuhei rested his head on Kensei's shoulder, despite spending days in the hospital he still smelled the same. Shuuhei snaked his arms around Kensei's waist, feeling the coarse bandages wrapped around his midsection. Fatigue was taking over his mind again and his eyes started to close. Kensei noticed Shuuhei falling asleep but wanted to tell him one more thing before that. He tilted Shuuhei's head slightly back and pressed a light kiss on his lips.

"I missed you, Shuuhei." Shuuhei smiled against Kensei's mouth.

"I missed you too."

* * *

><p><em>Reunion! Finally, it feels it's been ages since I had Kensei and Shuuhei together. They're adorable. Now I can start planning the eventual smut scenes, they're on their way!<em>


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter 27. **

When Shuuhei woke up, his first instinct was to feel for Kensei's warm skin under his hand. But as he reached out, he only felt empty space and cool sheets beside him. Shuuhei's eyes snapped open and he was suddenly completely awake. He almost jumped up from the bed but the pain in his abdomen forced him on his back again. He grabbed the steel rail of his hospital bed and tried to sit up more slowly this time.

"Kensei?" he called out from between his clenched teeth. The room was dark and he couldn't see clearly yet. Then he heard rustling of sheets and sleepy groaning coming from just few feet away.

"I'm here kid, don't panic." Kensei's voice was thick with sleep but to Shuuhei it was the most comforting sound he could imagine.

"I thought I'd been dreaming" he said as his sight finally adjusted to the darkness and now he could make out another bed close to his own. Kensei had lifted himself up on his elbows and was looking at Shuuhei, his eyes half-closed and unfocused.

"It's alright, I'm still here and still real" Kensei said, blinking to see more clearly and covered his mouth as he yawned, "go back to sleep, Shuuhei."

"Okay." Shuuhei lay back and closed his eyes, but it became clear he couldn't fall asleep like this. He felt too anxious, there was a nagging fear at the back of his mind if he fell asleep now, Kensei would be gone when he woke up.

"Kensei?" There was a small sigh before Kensei answered.

"Yeah?"

"I can't sleep."

"Figures." Shuuhei heard the rustling of sheets again and then pained groans as Kensei tried to get up from his bed. Shuuhei grabbed the railing of his own bed and pulled himself up to see Kensei struggling to even sit up.

"Kensei, stop it! You're hurt!" Kensei's face was twisted into a grimace as he tried to move but his strength gave out and he lopped back to the bed, breathing heavily from the strain. Shuuhei's arms were shaking from trying to keep his body up and he too fell down.

"We're in a bad shape" Kensei said after catching his breath.

"Yeah we are. Guess Ryuuken was right about the bed rest" Shuuhei replied.

"Feels like it." Shuuhei listened to Kensei's breathing, at least it was better knowing he was close but also frustrating that he was just few feet away and he couldn't get to him. _They should've left me in his bed. Stupid hospital policies. _

"We could call the nurse and ask her to put our beds together" Shuuhei suggested, knowing he sounded sappy and emotional but figured he had earned the right to be so after all they had gone through. Kensei laughed softly at his proposition.

"You know I'd like that, but I doubt they'd let us."

"Yeah, probably not." Shuuhei tried to think, maybe he was being childish and needy for even thinking of calling the nurses for such a stupid thing, but he knew he couldn't sleep alone now, and he needed rest to recover. _See, it makes sense! _

"Hey Shuuhei?"

"Yeah?"

"Didn't your friends say they'd guard the room at all hours? Maybe one of them could give us a hand." Shuuhei's face lit up with a smile.

"You're right! I hope they're still there." Kensei moved up on his elbows again and cleared his throat.

"Oi, you...whoever is on guard duty! Get in here!" Shuuhei stared at Kensei in slight awe. He had heard him use his 'officer voice', as he called it, few times before but it still sent shivers down his spine.

The door opened and a tired looking Kaien shuffled in, holding a book in his hand.

"Evening guys" he said, "you need something?" Seeing Kaien suddenly made Shuuhei feel bad for asking him do something this trivial. Luckily Kensei wasn't feeling the same.

"Could you push our beds together, Shuuhei can't sleep alone." Kaien glanced at his old friend and flashed Shuuhei one of his easy smiles, and nodded.

"Sure thing. Just hold on a sec..." It took him a few minutes to figure out the mechanics but soon Kaien had managed to lower the rails and push the beds together. The second he turned his back, Kensei pulled Shuuhei to his side, careful of the IV- drip on his hand and the electrodes attached to his chest. Shuuhei pulled the machines closer so the wires wouldn't get too tight.

"Oh yes, this should do" Kaien mumbled to himself and started undoing his belt. Shuuhei and Kensei shared a surprised look as Kaien turned back to them with his belt in his hand. He seemed to realize the oddity of the situation and let out a small laugh.

"Oh, don't take me wrong" he said and hooked the belt around the feet of the beds, securing them together "not planning on joining you." Kensei sighed of relief under his breath but Shuuhei laughed.

"You're a genius, Kaien."

"Just thinking that if I'd be in your situation, a sudden drop to the floor would spoil the mood quite quickly" Kaien said and winked at them. Kensei ignored him on purpose, staring at the machine recording his heartbeat as Shuuhei shared a knowing look with his old friend. Kaien patted the bed's steel railing and grabbed his book from the floor.

"If that was all, I'm off back to guard duty. Try not to be too explicit."

"We'll try" Shuuhei chuckled as Kaien shut the door behind him. After listening to the silence for a minute he turned to Kensei with a smile on his face.

"Hey" he whispered as he reached to touch his face. Kensei gave him a soft look and took Shuuhei's hand into his, kissing his fingers.

"I missed you" Shuuhei said, remembering what Kensei had told him just before he had fallen asleep. Kensei said nothing. His lips moved slowly up Shuuhei's hand to his wrist, making the young man shiver.

"I...You..." Shuuhei mumbled as Kensei kissed the inside of his arm, drawing his slightly closer so that Shuuhei was half-lying on top of him. He heard the machines clatter against each other as they moved. Shuuhei pressed his free hand against the bed, trying to keep himself from leaning his whole weight on Kensei and pressing on his injuries. Kensei's other hand reached to grab Shuuhei's thigh and pulled it up, bending his knee against the mattress. Shuuhei's other leg slipped between Kensei's thighs, he could feel Kensei's erection press against him through their papery hospital gowns. Shuuhei gasped just as Kensei suddenly looked up and grabbed the side of his head, kissing him hard on the mouth. Shuuhei moaned, his arms trembling from trying to hold his weight. Kensei's hand snaked behind his back, tearing the hospital gown. He rolled his hips against Shuuhei's body, feeling Shuuhei's cock press against his thigh.

Shuuhei felt his arms give out and tried to slowly lean down on Kensei's chest. But taking it slowly wasn't an option when Kensei's tongue invaded his mouth and his hand sunk into his hair, tilting his head and pulling him closer. Shuuhei felt Kensei tear off his hospital gown and his arm wrap around his waist, letting him free his hands. Shuuhei took the chance to reach behind Kensei's back, pushing his hand under him and open the laces that held his hospital gown. His fingers touched the rough bandages again and Kensei groaned as he touched the wound.

"Sorry" Shuuhei mumbled, trying to be quick. His concentration wavered as Kensei firmly grabbed his ass, making him press his hips against him.

"You weren't supposed to know what to do" Shuuhei managed to say in between kisses. Kensei ran his hand down to Shuuhei's neck, his fingers combing through overgrown strands of hair.

"I've had to time to figure it out."

"I noticed." Kensei's grip on Shuuhei's waist tightened and he pushed them up on the bed so his back was leaning against the pillows. Shuuhei had opened his gown and it slid down on his body as he moved, revealing his chest filled with electrodes and wires snaking up and down his body. Shuuhei grabbed the hem of the gown and rolled to the side to pull it off completely, Kensei pulled him back to his body the instant there was nothing between them anymore.

"Are you sure this is the right time?" Shuuhei asked as Kensei caressed the side of his neck. To his surprise Kensei smiled, a real wide smile that took years off him. Shuuhei felt his heart swell as he tried to etch the image to his memory, wanting to remember always how beautiful Kensei had looked, even after everything.

"There's never been a right time for us. Probably never will be. But I stopped caring about what's right when I held you at the warehouse..." Kensei's voice gave out and his smile died as he bit down on his jaw. His eyes glinted with tears and his grasp on Shuuhei was suddenly very tight. Shuuhei felt his chest ache and he leaned to kiss him.

"Kensei...I- I'm sorry" he said against Kensei's tense lips, "I'm so sorry."

"I was so mad" Kensei said, still biting his teeth together, "you can't imagine how mad I was. I held you and then you weren't there and something hurt like hell, but I didn't...I was so angry."

"I'm sorry" Shuuhei kept saying, trying to breathe easy. For some reason he felt scared, as if the panic from before when he had feared Kensei wouldn't wake up had returned. The reality of everything what had happened hit him and made him shake. Kensei's arms wrapped around him and he pressed his face to the crook of his neck, listening to his steady breathing. Slowly the panic faded as Kensei stroked his hair, his lips planting kisses on his head.

"Never, ever do anything that stupid to me ever again. You hear me?" Kensei said, his voice laced with worry and barely contained tears.

"I promise" Shuuhei whispered, his hands clenching into fists on Kensei's chest.

"I won't forgive anymore you if you make me feel like this again. I can't...I barely held myself together. I never want to feel like that."

"Me neither." Kensei sighed, his chest deflating from released tension.

"Stupid kid. Scaring an old man like that" he said, his tone now lighter. Shuuhei shifted in his arms, closing his eyes as his lips tugged into a smile.

"Are you ever gonna let me forget that?"

"Probably not. You respond so well to guilt" Kensei said, now teasing him. Shuuhei chuckled and turned his face to look at Kensei.

"You don't need to guilt me into doing anything for you." Kensei took his hand under Shuuhei's chin and pressed his thumb under his lower lip.

"That's good to hear" Kensei said and kissed him softly. Shuuhei smiled against his mouth but still pulled back.

"Are you angry at me?" Kensei looked him in the eye and exhaled slowly.

"No. I should be, but I can't. I'm just relieved." Shuuhei beamed at him and felt a weight roll off his shoulders.

"Good" he said and quickly leaned into another kiss, "that's good." Kensei chuckled and wrapped his arms around Shuuhei's skinny waist again, his legs shifting to tangle with Shuuhei's. It didn't take many kisses and caresses to turn the atmosphere heated again, and Shuuhei moaned softly as Kensei grabbed his ass, their hips rolling against each other. Then suddenly Shuuhei twisted his upper body and almost bit Kensei's tongue off as a wave of pain flashed through him.

"Oh God!" he yelped as he rolled over, almost managing to tear off some of the electrodes placed on Kensei's chest.

"Are you alright?" Kensei asked as he tried to calm Shuuhei who was curling into a tight ball, pressing his arms against his stomach.

"Yeah, it just hurts" he wheezed, his eyes screwing shut. Kensei traced the IV going to Shuuhei's arm and found the button to press to dose more morphine. He pressed it and within a minute Shuuhei's body relaxed, his eyes rolling to the back of his head.

"Thank you" he mumbled and reached for Kensei's face, "maybe we should take it slowly." Kensei smiled, shifting his body closer and laying down next to him.

"Maybe. Unless we want the nurses running in." Shuuhei grinned, the medicine was giving him a slight high. He turned to press his body against Kensei's side, hooking his leg with his. He let his hand drop down Kensei's chest, tracing the wires of the heart monitor.

"I don't like having an audience. Pressure." Kensei felt a shiver run down his spine as Shuuhei's finger graced over his lower abdomen, moving to the side to touch the hollow on his hip. Kensei made a pleasant noise from the back of his throat and reached to kiss Shuuhei, his arm snaking behind his back. Shuuhei slid his hand lower between Kensei's legs and touched the inside of his thigh, feeling Kensei's legs quiver slightly under his touch.

"You don't know how long I've waited" Kensei said as Shuuhei's hand rested on his thigh, itching to touch him.

"Probably not as long as I have" Shuuhei said and locked his lips with Kensei's as he finally wrapped his hand around his cock. Kensei bucked his hips against Shuuhei's hand, his free hand cupping the side of Shuuhei's face.

Shuuhei moved his hand in a slow pace, matching the rhythm to their kiss. Kensei had hard time staying still, his legs jerked and his other hand kept travelling up and down Shuuhei's body. He cursed his weakened state and Shuuhei's wounds, he ached to do so many things but knew it would cost them more time spend at the hospital recovering, and he wanted to be back on his feet soon. If for nothing else than for being able to finally do what he had wanted to do for so long. On the other hand Kensei was grateful for the privacy the hospital guaranteed them, he dreaded the moment he'd have to return to the real world and wear his old uniform and everything else that came with it again.

_Stop worrying, you're ruining the moment! _Kensei exhaled as he tried to focus and forget about the future. Luckily for him it was easy enough to forget about everything else as Shuuhei's tongue pressed against his and his hand started to move quicker. Kensei buried his hand into Shuuhei's hair, holding his head tightly close. He moaned against Shuuhei's mouth as the pressure started to build up deep in the pit of his stomach and he didn't want it to end. Shuuhei slowed down again, his thumb slicking over the tip of Kensei's cock. Kensei gasped and his kisses turned deeper and more desperate, trying to get as close to Shuuhei as he could.

Shuuhei felt his arm starting to tire and knew he couldn't keep this up for long, he was too tired and out of shape but still wanted to give Kensei something for all his troubles. He could feel how much Kensei yearned for this, and he had deserved to feel something good and sweet for once. Shuuhei wanted him to know they could make it, how good it would be once they could leave, once they were back on their feet. The worst was over, and they could finally focus on each other.

Shuuhei noticed the beeping of Kensei's heart monitor was slowly picking up. Kensei bucked his hips up, strained groans coming from the back of his throat. Shuuhei felt his cock twitch in his hand and tried to keep his arm from shaking for just a little longer.

"Shuuhei...I can't..." Kensei said while gasping for breath. Shuuhei smiled as he kissed him hard, feeling Kensei's fingers twist his hair. Kensei hold him tightly as he came into Shuuhei's hand, his body tensing for few seconds and then slowly relaxing, the beeping of the heart monitor slowing down with his calming breathing. Kensei broke their kiss and his head sunk back into the pillows. Shuuhei felt for their discarded hospital gowns to wipe his hands. Kensei ruffled his hair as he tried to clean them both.

"You think the nurses noticed that?" Shuuhei hummed, glancing towards the door.

"I f they did, I hope Kaien will hold them back." Kensei chuckled and dragged Shuuhei back to his side. He kissed his forehead and his hands roamed over Shuuhei's thin body, he could almost count every bone by just sliding his hands over them.

"When we get out of here, I'm buying you dinner." Shuuhei nuzzled his head against Kensei's chest.

"Does that mean we can keep doing this once we get out?" Shuuhei noticed the slight tension in Kensei's body and he didn't answer. He pulled back to look at his face and felt his blood ran cold as he saw the look on his face.

"Kensei..."

"You know I'd want nothing more than to be with you-" Kensei started but didn't even get further when Shuuhei slapped him in the face. Kensei had seen his hand coming and could've grabbed it, but there was little strength in his slap anyway. What hurt more was the intention behind it.

"You bastard! You don't think twice about risking your life for me in a fight but then take issue with being seen with me in public! What the hell is your problem?"

"It's not you, it's my-"

"You begged me not to leave you. You _begged me. _Just before you tore my clothes off, remember that? And now you say that it was all for nothing? What is this, some kind of a game to you? See how much you can stand? Or how much I can stand?"

"No, it's not like that" Kensei said, "just listen to me, you know how it is-"

"Yes, but I thought that after all this- After what happened, that you had- That something was different now, that we could be together. I mean, I...How can you still say no?" Shuuhei's lower lip quivered and Kensei felt another stab at his heart.

"Or am I just some curiosity to you? Something you can use to experiment with and then leave when you've seen what it's like?" Kensei knew Shuuhei was being emotional, and no one could blame him, but the words still hurt like hell.

"No, don't be stupid."

"I'm not! Don't call me that, you've no right to say I'm being stupid when you're telling me that nothing's changed!"

"I'm not saying that, things are different" Kensei said sternly, trying to get a word in, "just hear me out for one second instead of jumping into conclusions based on the person I used to be, alright?" Shuuhei shut his mouth, mainly because he was scared he'd start yelling or crying or both.

"Shuuhei, there's nothing in this world I care more about than you" Kensei said, taking Shuuhei's hands into his, "but this isn't over. It's still dangerous out there for the both of us. You know that. We almost got ourselves killed already, we need to be careful. If they know about us, they'll use that against us. Being your bodyguard is one thing, but being your lover...They haven't even tried being serious yet. Aizen is one twisted bastard, and if he knows...I can't risk that. I told you before, if anything happens to you again, I can't even put to words what I will do."

"So how much longer?" Shuuhei asked, "I doubt we'll ever get to Aizen himself, even if we did blow this thing open. He's too high, he's probably cleaning up his tracks as we speak." Kensei remembered his little talk with Kisuke and Shinji after the attack on his apartment. He hoped the sneaky politician would keep his promise.

"I talked with Kisuke. He promised that once he's in charge, he can guarantee us our privacy. That would be the only way, then Aizen would have bigger things to worry about than us. But even then we can't call it from the mountains. But that doesn't make it any less true."

"But I-"

"Why do you want everybody to know? How does that make it any more true than if I tell straight to your face that I want to be with you? And we will, I promise." Shuuhei sighed. Of course Kensei was right, it didn't matter. He knew it was different having to keep their relationship secret because of their own safety instead of from the fear of being treated with prejudice. But it was still hiding and living in secrecy, and the mere idea made Shuuhei feel uneasy.

"I thought...I thought you still didn't want to be seen with me." Kensei smiled softly and kissed his forehead.

"Shuuhei, if the world was a perfect place, I would've put you on a pedestal ages ago and declared to the world that you're mine." Shuuhei felt his cheeks flush. Kensei's voice sounded raw and gentle at the same time, he had surprised Shuuhei more times during the past hour than during the whole past weeks he had known him. And with every single surprise Shuuhei felt himself falling for him more and more.

"You...You really mean that?" he managed to say, keeping his face down. Kensei lifted his chin up and looked him in the eyes, a smile playing on his lips.

"No, I'm just yanking your chain." Kensei kissed him and Shuuhei felt his stomach flutter.

"I knew it."

"Then stop asking stupid questions and kiss me before the nurses show up." Shuuhei happily complied.

* * *

><p><em>Well, that was just all over the place. I'm rusty, sorry about that. There'll be more later, there's still bit more to go so I'll squeeze some proper smut in there somewhere. <em>


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